A Little Thing Called Love
by adorkable-oxo
Summary: Spencer Reid never thought he'd find that special someone, a woman who loved him as much as he loved her. Mia Hale always believed she'd be happiest on her own. Now they've been together for nearly a year, and they're happier than either ever thought possible. When the BAU's latest case hits a little too close to home, will they lose everything, or does love truly conquer all?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm baaack! ****Big thanks to all the follows/favs/reviews/pms I got during my little (long) hiatus. I appreciate and adore every single one of you! **

**Here it is! The much anticipated sequel (for those that don't know, the prequel is 'When I'm With You'). I really hope I don't let you down. I've got big plans for a not so fluffy casefic...buuut I will be sure to throw in as much fluff as I can, because I know how much y'all love it :)**

* * *

_Chapter One_

Spencer Reid heaved a sigh, pushing away from his desk and getting to his feet. Stifling a yawn, he stretched his arms high above his head for a moment before making his way to the break room, suddenly desperate for a cup of coffee. He'd been writing reports all day, and while it wasn't nearly as physically taxing as chasing down killers in the field, he was inarguably exhausted. Still, it beat going home to an empty apartment.

"Boy Wonder," Garcia greeted from the small table where she sat nursing her own cup of coffee, "You look pooped. Go home!"

Spencer shrugged, reaching for the pot of coffee. "I'm fine," he said. "Just a little tired."

Both were quiet as Spencer stirred the usual excessive amount of sugar into his coffee before taking a seat across the table from his friend. Spencer sipped his coffee in silence, eyeing Garcia over the rim of his plain black mug. She gazed at him thoughtfully, her dark eyes narrowed behind her bejewelled purple glasses. For several moments they stared at each other, neither saying anything, Spencer growing steadily more uncomfortable with each passing second.

Finally, he sighed and set his coffee down. "What is it, Garcia?"

Garcia shook her head, giving him a soft smile. "I'm just worried about you, love bug!"

"You don't have to be worried about me," Spencer assured her. "I'm fine."

"You miss Mia."

Spencer nodded. "I do."

"You miss her a _lot_."

Again, Spencer nodded. "I do," he agreed. "There's no need to worry, though."

"Sweets," Garcia said, "Why don't you just call her?"

"I don't want to bother her."

Garcia rolled her eyes and got to her feet. "You won't be bothering her," she said firmly. "Call her."

Spencer waited a few moments before following the plucky, sometimes overly bossy blonde out into the bullpen. She'd already disappeared into her lair, for which he was secretly grateful. If he was going to call Mia, which he was starting to realize was probably a good idea, he'd prefer doing so without an audience. They hadn't seen each other in weeks and had barely spoken since she'd left, and he wasn't entirely sure which direction their conversation would take. It would probably be best to call her without his team of nosy friends hanging about.

Taking a seat at his desk, Spencer pulled out his phone and dialled Mia's number.

"Spencer?"

The sound of her voice made him feel better immediately, and he smiled. "Hey," he said quietly, "How's Paris? It's not too late to call, right?"

"Of course not," Mia laughed, "It's the City of Light! I haven't been to bed at a decent hour since getting here."

Spencer's smile grew. "So you're enjoying yourself?"

"Oh, Spence, you have no idea," she gushed. "It's just amazing. Definitely my favourite stop of the trip."

"Really? Better than the castles in Romania? Or the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff?"

Mia laughed, and he realized with a pang of sadness just how much he missed the sound. "While the castles in Romania were amazing," she conceded, "Paris is just the dream. We've been to the Louvre three times already and I don't think I've seen it all yet. By the end of the week Alice is going to hate art."

"End of the week?" Spencer asked. "I thought you were staying in Paris until Tuesday."

"No, we're heading back to London a few days early," Mia replied. "I figured I'd want to do a lot of souvenir shopping in Cardiff and didn't fancy carrying everything around with me all month, so we're doing the Doctor Who Experience last."

Spencer chuckled. "You know, I'm very jealous that you're going without me."

"I know you are," Mia said, a smile evident in her voice. "I promise to bring you some _very _cool presents to make up for it."

Before Spencer could reply the doors to the bullpen burst open and Morgan walked in, closely followed by JJ, Prentiss, and Rossi, all back from the late lunch they'd taken. Spencer had elected to stay behind, remaining buried in his work, and while he'd initially regretted his decision he now found himself wishing their lunch had lasted just a little while longer. Spotting him at his desk, his phone in hand, all four of them smiled excitedly and hurried forwards.

"Is that Mia?"

"How is she?"

"_Where_ is she?"

For the next few minutes, Spencer's phone was passed from agent to agent, allowing each person to hear from Mia and let her know they all missed her. Garcia joined the group while Rossi was speaking to Mia, and gave Spencer an approving nod before insisting she speak to Mia next. Spencer smiled softly, enjoying the enthusiasm his family had for the woman he loved. Mia had been in Europe for nearly a month now, having gone on a whirlwind backpacking trip with Alice, and while Spencer missed her dearly and wanted to keep her to himself, he seriously loved how well she got on with the rest of the team. The team consisted of six of the most important people in the world to him, and since Mia had jumped to the top of that list he wasn't sure what he'd have done if they hadn't all gotten along.

Fifteen minutes passed before JJ took pity on her friend.

"Okay guys," she laughed, "Let's give the phone back to Spence. This is _his _girlfriend, after all."

Garcia held the phone out and the team called out a chorus of 'goodbye, we miss you, bring us back something nice!' Spencer chuckled and shook his head, watching his friends disperse throughout the bullpen, busying themselves with their own paperwork or quiet conversations, leaving him in peace.

"Sorry about that," he said, putting the phone back to his ear, "But apparently I'm not the only one missing you around here."

Mia laughed softly. "I miss them all too," she said, "But I miss you more than anything. I can't wait to get home."

"I can't wait for you to get home, either," Spencer sighed. "I'm going crazy without you here."

"Only one more week and I'll be home."

"One week too long."

Mia was quiet a moment, and Spencer was sure he heard a small sniffle. "I should probably go. This is costing a fortune."

Guilt stabbed Spencer's heart at the sound of her trembling voice. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry."

"You didn't upset me, Spence," she assured him quickly. "Being this far away from you for so long is killing me, too. I don't know what I was thinking, leaving you for a whole month when I can hardly bear being away from you for a few days."

"You love to travel," Spencer said simply. "It's what you did before we met, and I don't want you to change who you are. I want you to be able to enjoy that still. I'll always be here when you get home."

Mia let out a shaky breath. "I love you, Spencer."

Spencer smiled despite himself. "I love you, too."

After waiting for Mia to hang up, Spencer set his phone down slowly and shut his eyes, leaning back in his chair with a heavy sigh. Less than a year ago he would have found it strange to miss another human being as much as he currently missed Mia. He'd never been one for emotional attachment, and he'd never imagined having someone to care so deeply for. Now, with her gone, he found he couldn't sleep, or eat, or focus on anything without his mind bringing him back to her. A small voice in his head kept telling him that he was crazy, that it couldn't possibly be healthy to love someone as much as he loved Mia, or to miss someone as much as he did. No one had mentioned it, probably to spare him the embarrassment, but he knew his work had suffered since she'd been away. He'd missed a completely obvious clue on a case in Ohio, had misquoted Carl Jung during an argument with Prentiss, and, to top it off, had only managed to read a total of sixteen books in three weeks. As desperate and pathetic as he felt, he needed her back. He wasn't sure he'd survive the next week.

* * *

"You alright there sweetheart?"

Mia Hale opened her eyes, sucked in a deep breath and shot the man next to her a tense smile before shutting her eyes once more. Despite all the travelling she'd done in her life, and she'd done a lot of it, she had yet to overcome her immense fear of flying. She was able to deal with it once the plane was in the air, but during takeoff and landing she bordered on hysteria.

This landing was particularly awful due to the torrential downpour currently plaguing DC, and the man sitting next to her was not helping the situation. The moment she boarded the plan in London and found her seat, her neighbour had sneakily slipped his wedding ring into his pocket before promptly starting to hit on her. No amount of mentioning her loving boyfriend had deterred him, and she'd spent nearly seven hours trying to tune him out. Even now, while she was pressed back in her seat, gripping the armrests and holding her breath as the plane hurtled towards the tarmac, the man laid a hand over hers comfortingly.

"First time flying?"

With a terrifying _thump _the plane touched down and began to slow. Mia tugged her hand free and opened her eyes, taking a deep, calming breath. "No," she replied shortly, "Just not a big fan."

For the next few minutes, Mia gazed out the tiny airplane window at the pouring rain and the nearing airport terminal. As the plane rolled to a stop and her panic slowly subsided, Mia felt herself smile. She was home, safe, and finally back in the same country as the man she loved. Granted, he was currently off in Klamath Falls, Oregon, chasing the team's latest serial killer, but still. She was much closer to him now than she had been while traipsing around Europe.

"What do you say to grabbing a drink at the airport bar before heading out?"

"Again," Mia sighed, mustering up one last polite smile, "I don't think my _boyfriend _would like that very much."

The man shrugged with an irritating smirk. "I'm sure I could take him."

Shaking her head, Mia chose not to continue the conversation. While the flight attendant thanked everyone for flying with British Airways, she undid her seatbelt and reached for her bag, readying herself for the moment the door opened and she could escape both the death trap she'd travelled on and the creep she'd travelled with.

The moment people started moving towards the exit, the man next to her stood and gallantly motioned for her to precede him. Thanking him with a small smile, Mia joined the throng of people filing out of the aircraft, digging through her bag for her phone as she went. The moment her feet hit the floor of the terminal she felt the last bit of anxiety dissipate. Feeling much more relaxed than she'd felt in several hours, she typed out a quick message to Spencer, letting him know she was home safely and she couldn't wait to see him. Slipping her phone back into her bag, she smiled and followed the signs to baggage claim.

Mia hadn't taken more than ten steps when the Doctor Who theme sounded from within her bag, and her smile grew.

"Shouldn't you be working?"

Spencer's soft chuckle made her heart flutter excitedly. "I always have time for you. How was the flight?"

"It was okay," she told him, leaving out the part about her teeny tiny freakout during the landing and the man so intent on cheating on his wife. "Long, but uneventful. How's the case going?"

"I think we're close," Spencer replied. "We should be home soon. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to meet you. Especially seeing as Alice had to catch a later flight."

Balancing her phone between her ear and her shoulder, Mia lifted her luggage from the carousel, loaded it onto a cart, and headed for the customs lineup. To her dismay, her admirer from the plane was right behind her the whole way.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop apologising, Spencer? You're working. Saving lives is much more important than picking me up from the airport," she told him with a smile. "I can catch a cab. It's fine."

"Oh you won't need to get a cab," Spencer assured her. "Garcia's sending Anderson. He's probably already there waiting, and, knowing Garcia, has a bunch of flowers to welcome you home with."

Mia smiled fondly at the thought of the humorously uptight agent. Despite knowing her extreme aversion to referring to people by surname, as everyone at the bureau tended to do, no one would give her Anderson's first name. Even Spencer and Aaron continued determinedly to only ever use his last name, and Anderson himself was seemingly under strict orders to keep his first name a secret. Mia was certain it was her newly expanded family's strange attempt at getting a rise out of her. Not one to cave to social pressure, however, Mia had come up with her own way of dealing with the situation.

"Ooh yay," she said enthusiastically as the line inched closer to the customs kiosks, "I haven't spoken to Andy in ages!"

"I'm sure he'll be happy to see you, too."

Mia could hear a sudden rumble of voices on the other end and frowned. "What's going on there? Is everything okay?"

"Oh, uh, it looks like we just got a break in the case," Spencer replied hurriedly. "I should probably go. Morgan's trying to wave me over. I'll call you tonight, okay?"

"Okay. Be safe!"

"Always am. I love you, Mia."

"Love you too, Spence."

Tucking her phone back into her bag, Mia sighed dreamily. Oh, how he loved that man. She'd been away from him for a month, almost to the day, and it had been a month too long in her opinion. When Alice had broached the subject of a backpacking trip, though, she'd had a hard time turning it down. She'd been bitten by the travel bug long before meeting Spencer, and hadn't been able to resist the chance to see Europe once more. Only when she'd had to say goodbye to Spencer had she realized her mistake. _Choosing _to be away from the man she loved? It was hard enough when he left town for a few days for work, and she'd _chosen _to be away from him for a month. She'd had an amazing trip, and her friendship with Alice had definitely strengthened in their time overseas, but she knew without a doubt that she wouldn't be going anywhere without Spencer for quite some time.

"Boyfriend's not coming, huh?"

Mia's brief chat with Spencer had driven the creep from her mind. Sighing, she glanced over her shoulder at him. "No, unfortunately he's working."

"Great," he grinned. "We can grab that drink after all."

"Um, no," Mia shook her head. "Someone else is waiting for me."

"Send them home," he shrugged. "I'll give you a ride."

"I don't think that's such a good idea. See, he's an FBI agent, and he's under very strict orders from my FBI agent boyfriend and my FBI agent brother to see me home safely."

Eyes darkening ever so slightly, the man took a small step back, his hands raised in defense. "Fine, fine. I can take a hint."

Mia had an urge to laugh at the ludicrousness of the statement, but settled for turning her back on the man, feeling quite pleased with herself. As luck would have it, she was next in line, and would soon be rid of the man for good. She was quite grateful that Penelope had decided to send Andy along. Had she been forced to catch a cab, as she'd initially planned, she would have been stuck finding a way to escape him on her own, and the thought of the hypothetical situation made her feel very uneasy. The sooner she was away from him, the better.

"Next!"

A small sigh of relief escaping her lips, Mia grabbed hold of her luggage cart and hurried forwards, flashing a big smile at the handsome customs agent who had rescued her. "Hi!"

The tall, dark haired man at the desk gave her an appraising look before his face broke into a smile, his blue eyes crinkling at the corners. "Welcome to the United States, ma'am," he said politely, "Passport and customs form, please."

Mia obligingly handed him the required documents.

"Coming from London, Miss Hale? Business or pleasure?"

"It's Mia," she smiled, "And pleasure. I was on a backpacking trip with a friend."

"How exciting. How long were you gone?"

"Twenty nine days."

"Quite the trip," he commented lightly. "Do you live and work here in DC?"

"I do," Mia nodded. "I own a bookstore, actually."

Interest sparked in his blue eyes. "Really? Maybe you could help me with something then," he said as he scanned her passport. "I've been searching for a first edition copy of a specific Browning anthology. Any idea where I would look?"

Mia beamed at him. "My store specializes in rare prints," she said excitedly. "I'll give you the address. I'd be happy to help you find what you're looking for!"

"That would be great!"

Mia accepted a small scrap of paper and a pen, quickly jotting down the name and address of her bookstore. The agent, whose name she learned was Paul, thanked her before returning to the task at hand. They discussed what she was bringing back from overseas—a few souvenirs from random stops throughout Europe and a handful of Doctor Who themed gifts from the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff—and, after a few more minutes, Paul determined that everything was in order.

"Welcome home, Mia."

"Thank you very much," she said happily, "I hope you have a _lovely_ day."

Paul grinned. "I think I will now."

With a small wave, Mia continued on towards the exit, tucking her documents back into her bag as she went. A few feet away the creep from the airplane was finishing up with his own customs officer. Mia quickened her pace. As she rode the escalator down towards the arrivals area, she scanned the crowd for Andy in his stuffy suit and tie. She was so focused on finding him that she didn't notice the man approaching her, a bunch of foil balloons in hand, until he was only a few feet away. Her gaze passed over him twice before she stopped dead, her wide eyes meeting his. He wore a pair of dark jeans, a cream coloured, button down top, and the blue cardigan she'd given him for Christmas. Her beloved Spencer Reid was there, at Dulles International Airport, smiling at her behind his thick rimmed glasses, instead of chasing a madman through Oregon.

Coming to her senses after a few moments, she released her cart and hurried towards him, throwing herself into his open arms. He caught her easily, spinning her in the air the way they do in movies. Mia laughed happily, pressing kisses all over his face the moment he set her down. He chuckled, pulling her close and catching her lips with his. They stood there for several moments, their arms around each other, kissing as if their lives depended on it, completely oblivious to the world around them.

When they finally broke apart both were breathing heavily, and Spencer's cheeks were adorably flushed. He smiled, pressed another quick kiss to her lips, and then hurried to collect her discarded luggage cart. Mia waited until he'd rejoined her, and then hit him playfully on the arm.

"You said you had a case! Aaron said you had a case! I even talked to Penelope last night and _she _said you had a case!"

"We do have a case," Spencer laughed. "The rest of the team really is in Klamath Falls."

"So you stayed behind?"

Spencer nodded. "We figured you should have someone to welcome you home."

"We?"

"The team," he explained with a smile. "Your brother said the last time you came home from a trip overseas there was no one here to meet you, and he didn't want it happening again. He also mentioned something about a slight fear of flying and said you'd need a hug?"

Mia laughed and accepted his hug. "My fear of flying is the last thing on my mind right now," she told him. "I hope the team's okay without you, though. I'd hate to take you away from your work."

Spencer shook his head and gave her another quick kiss. "Don't be silly," he said, "The team is fine. I helped Garcia out with the geographical profiling and connecting the dots between the victims. We think we've got the unsub, now it's just a matter of finding him. They can do that without me. They all insisted I be here to meet you."

Mia smiled, very touched that everyone cared so much. "Can I ask one more question?"

Spencer nodded.

"What's with the balloons?"

"Oh!" He glanced up at them in surprise, as if he'd forgotten he was holding them. "They're for you!"

Taking them from him slowly, Mia gazed up at the shiny red and pink hearts, curly ribbon trailing from them, and smiled. "They're very cute," she said, "But why balloons?"

Spencer blushed. "Whenever I go out of town I get you flowers," he explained. "I figured we'd do balloons when you go out of town."

When Mia leaned in to kiss him, his blush deepened ever so slightly. "You're adorable, and I love you."

"I love you too," he said, his voice husky. "Ready to go home?"

Mia nodded, looped her arm through his, and they started towards the door. As they moved through the crowded airport slowly, a thought struck her and she stopped, forcing him to stop with her. "Wait!"

Spencer gave her a curious look.

""You're _sure _the team is actually in Oregon?"

"What do you mean?"

"They're not like…waiting at home to welcome me back or anything, right?"

Spencer chuckled and tugged her towards the door. "No, they're really in Oregon. We figured we'd go for dinner when they got back to town."

Mia was instantly relieved. "Good," she smiled, barely noticing the rain that drenched her the moment they stepped outside, "Because I'd really like it if it were just the two of us for the next several hours."

Spencer gave her a small smile, his eyes revealing his excitement. "I'm pretty sure I'll like that, too."

As they hurried through the rain to his car, Mia assured him that he would be doing much more than simply _liking _their alone time. The entire time she was in Europe, she'd known she missed the man with all her heart. Now that she was back, though, she realized it was so much more than that. She'd missed him with every fibre of her being. She belonged here, with the adorable Spencer Reid, completely in love and deliriously happy.

* * *

**A/N: Review review review! Next chapter _should _be up tomorrow. Or maybe later today, if I'm feeling generous ;) **

**Thanks for reading! 3  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I love you guys. All of you. For real. And to prove my love, here is a chapter of _pure fluff_. Enjoy! :) **

* * *

_Chapter Two_

"I missed this."

Spencer smiled and pressed a kiss atop Mia's head. "Me, too."

Mia snuggled closer, drawing the duvet snugly around their bodies. Spencer tightened his arms around her, shutting his eyes, feeling completely at peace. Mia had been out of the country for almost exactly a month, and it had easily been the longest month of Spencer's life. When Mia had announced her plans to take a month long trip to Europe he'd been excited for her, knowing how much she enjoyed traveling. When it had come time to say goodbye, however, he'd realized that he wasn't even remotely okay with her leaving. Now that he had her back, in his arms, where she belonged, he never wanted to let go again.

"Wanna see your presents now?"

Spencer chuckled at Mia's sudden burst of enthusiasm as she sat up, her eyes shining excitedly. "I'd love to."

He sat up, propping their pillows up against the headboard and watching the woman he loved pull on his shirt, fasten a few of the buttons, and hurry off in search of her suitcase. She was only gone about thirty seconds, but when she reappeared, her luggage in tow, he was blown away by her beauty as if she'd grown more gorgeous between the bedroom and the entranceway. As she started digging through her luggage for whatever souvenirs she'd brought home, Spencer took in every inch of her, from the sparkly purple polish on her toenails, to the satisfyingly messy curls that tumbled about her shoulders. She was breathtakingly perfect.

"Okay, shut your eyes!"

Spencer obliged with a smile, putting a hand over his eyes for good measure. He heard Mia giggle, which made his smile grow, and felt the bed shift as she set the souvenirs down and took a seat in front of him. When she reached over to move his hand, kissing him lightly in the process, he forgot for a brief second that he was about to get gifts, and drew her closer. She allowed him to deepen the kiss for a few moments before pulling away, a sweet little smirk on her perfect little lips.

"Souvenirs first," she said softly, "Then that."

Spencer grinned. "Deal."

For the next ten minutes, Mia excitedly showed him all the souvenirs she'd brought home from her trip. She gave him a handful of postcards (which she'd written on, but forgotten to send while overseas), a mini Bran Castle, and a beautiful wooden Lewis chess set from the British Museum. Spencer had long admired the Lewis chess pieces, a fact he'd mentioned offhandedly shortly after meeting Mia. He was touched that she'd remembered, and extremely excited to own his own set.

Mia had also taken the three hour train ride from London to Cardiff, where she'd gone to the Doctor Who Experience. While Spencer was delighted to be in bed—wearing next to nothing—with a girl who took time out of her busy schedule of sightseeing with her friend to geek out over Doctor Who for a day, a small part of him was very jealous that he hadn't been there to enjoy it too. The special 50th Anniversary Edition framed silhouette of the fourth Doctor, pair of Tardis coffee cups (one for home, one for the office), and his very own sonic screwdriver helped dissipate most of the jealousy, though.

After he'd finished admiring his own gifts, Mia showed Spencer the souvenirs she'd brought back for the team and he assured her that she'd done well choosing gifts suited to each individual person. She'd also brought back presents for Jack, Sean, Henry, Will, and Kevin. Spencer found himself wondering how she'd managed to bring back any of her own belongings with all the souvenirs she'd picked up during her stay.

"Did you remember to get yourself any souvenirs?"

Mia laughed. "I don't need souvenirs. I was there!"

"You didn't get yourself anything?"

"Not a lot, no," she shook her head, getting to her feet. Spencer watched her cross the room to the suitcase yet again. "I took a lot of pictures. I'll get a few framed, I think. And I got a new pair of shoes."

"There are shoes in DC, you know."

Mia gave him a look. "There are sonic screwdrivers in DC too, I'm sure."

Spencer chuckled. "Point taken."

"I _did _get this," she said, reaching into the suitcase and pulling out a t-shirt. "I thought maybe I could wear it to Comicon or Whocon or whatever you and Penelope want to bring me to."

Spencer eyed the Union Jack t-shirt thoughtfully for a moment before it clicked. "You want to dress up?!"

Mia smiled shyly and shrugged. "Don't you guys do that sort of thing?"

Spencer grinned. "Yes, of course," he said quickly, "We didn't think you'd want to though."

"You managed to get me hooked on Doctor Who," Mia laughed, dropping the t-shirt back atop the now disastrous pile of half unpacked luggage, "You didn't think you'd be able to convince me to be the Rose to your Doctor?"

Spencer was quite certain he fell in love with this woman more and more each day. Brushing a dark curl from her pretty blue eyes, he smiled. "You don't need a costume to be the Rose to my Doctor."

* * *

"You know, the first time we did this was one of the best days of my life."

Mia turned to gaze at Spencer, thinking back to their first ever picnic with a soft smile. "That was one of our first dates."

Spencer nodded, taking a slow sip of his wine. "I was already completely in love with you by then."

"We barely even knew each other," she laughed, her heart warmed and so full of love it almost hurt. "How did you know you loved me?"

Spencer shifted slightly so he could look into her eyes. "We'd known each other four days, seventeen hours, and I'd loved you for four days, sixteen and a half hours. Maybe even longer. I don't typically subscribe to such notions as _love at first sight_, but I very well might have fallen in love with _you_ at first sight."

Mia's smile grew. "What was it you loved so much?"

"Everything," Spencer answered immediately. "You were funny, and adorable, and very sweet. You were intelligent. You quoted Tolstoy in the first hour of meeting. You owned a bookstore. You seemed confident, like you had everything sorted out and knew exactly what you wanted and knew you would get it, but you were perfectly modest. You were easily the most interesting, most gorgeous, most _perfect_ woman I'd ever met, and I fell in love almost immediately."

Blinking away a few tears, Mia leaned in to press a kiss against his lips. "_You _are perfect," she breathed. "I love you so much."

Spencer set his wine aside carefully before wrapping both arms around her, pulling her close and kissing her deeply. They'd been together for the better part of a year now, and Mia was still pleasantly surprised whenever he took charge. Sighing happily, Mia melted into him, tangling her fingers in his hair and deepening the kiss. Spurred by her enthusiasm, Spencer moved onto his back, pulling Mia so she lay atop him. Making quick work of the buttons, he had her blouse nearly all the way off before coming to his senses and stopping, his hands on her arms, his breath ragged.

"We shouldn't," he said huskily, "We're in public."

"Hardly," Mia replied, slipping her hands beneath his dark blue t-shirt. "We had to hike twenty minutes to get here. There's no one around."

"It's illegal."

Smirking, Mia pushed his shirt up his torso, following it with a trail of feather light kisses. "Never broken the law before?"

Spencer sucked in a deep breath as her lips passed over a particularly sensitive spot. "I typically try to avoid it," he whispered, "Being an agent of the FBI."

Mia gazed at him through her long lashes, biting her lip in the way she knew drove him crazy. "Some rules were meant to be broken."

* * *

**A/N: I hope you don't mind the Doctor Who references I'm throwing in. I'm trying to keep them vague/spoiler free/not too in depth (for those that are not Whovians...but seriously, if you're not, you should be!) :) I'm off to the beach tomorrow and will be gone most of the weekend, but should have chapter three out on Monday. Until then, review review review! :) 3 **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Surprise! Because you guys are just _so _great here is Chapter Three, two days early! Enjoy :) _  
_**

* * *

_Chapter Three_

"So you had a good trip?"

"It was the best," Mia gushed, scanning a piece of paper before handing it to her brother for filing. "Oddly enough, though, I'm glad I'm home."

Aaron smiled at her. "That's not odd. That's _good_."

Mia shrugged, a soft smile of her own playing across her lips, but said nothing as she continued sorting through the stack of paperwork she'd come back to. Following an early morning run and breakfast at a nearby café, Mia and Aaron had headed over to the bookstore to get everything in order for the post vacation reopening. They'd decided to spend the day together upon the team's return from Oregon, and Aaron had offered to help out at the store before they went about the rest of the day—which would end with a big family dinner with the team.

"You know," Aaron commented a while later, "You've changed a lot."

Mia glanced up from the budget report she was studying. "What do you mean?"

Aaron moved a pile of books from one of the armchairs and took a seat. "You're different. Like a whole new person compared to this time last year."

"In a bad way?"

"Not even a little bit," he smiled. "When have you ever been happy to be back from vacation?"

Pushing the stack of paperwork away, Mia leaned back in her chair, gazing at her brother thoughtfully. "I don't think I've ever been happy to be back."

"Exactly," Aaron nodded. "I didn't think I'd ever see a day with you _settled_."

Mia smiled. "I didn't think I'd ever settle, either. But since Spencer…I just…"

"Are you going to marry him?"

At the mention of marriage, Mia's heart skipped a beat. Most of her adult life had been spent fearing marriage, wanting desperately to avoid the commitment, the effort, the restriction. She'd always dreamed of having children, but had assumed that she'd end up doing it solo to ensure life would be lived her way and there would be no heartbreak involved. Now, with Spencer, there was excitement, enthusiasm, and hope. Hope for a future, for a white dress and a tiered chocolate cake, for a big house and a white picket fence, for a couple of little curly haired, glasses wearing mini Spencers.

"I would like to," she said finally. "I think. Someday. Maybe. Yes."

Aaron chuckled. "I'm happy for you, little girl."

Mia smiled, but was prevented from saying anything when her phone buzzed loudly from her bag. Flashing her brother an apologetic look, which he waved off, she reached for her phone, hoping to hear from Spencer despite having seen him early that morning. To her surprise, however, Penelope's photo smiled up at her.

"Pen," she answered happily, "What's up?"

"Hey there Sweet Pea. You're with bossman Hotch, right?"

"I am. You're not going to steal him from me already, are you?"

"No, no, of course not," Penelope laughed. "I was hoping you could do me a favor."

"Uh, sure," Mia said slowly. "What do you need?"

"Well, there's this gala coming up. Chief Strauss wants the whole team there—barring imminent death—but nobody seems too keen on going."

"Yeah I think Spence mentioned something about that yesterday. What do you want me to do?"

"Strauss will be _very _unimpressed the team isn't present," Penelope explained, "So you need to convince everyone to go. I figure if you can convince Agent Bossman—which you shouldn't have a problem with—the rest of the team will follow."

Mia laughed. "You guys really think I've just got him wrapped around my little finger, don't you?"

"Well, sweetie, you _do_ have him wrapped around your little finger," Penelope pointed out, a smile evident in her voice. "Not to mention Reid and Rossi. Now work your magic and keep my babies from getting themselves into trouble!"

Smiling, Mia promised to do her best before hanging up and setting her phone aside. Aaron gave her an expectant look.

"What was that all about?"

"Oh, Penelope just needed a favor."

"Uh huh," he nodded, "I got that much. What did she want?"

"For me to let you know that we're all going to the FBI Gala Strauss wants you to be at."

Aaron chuckled. "We are, are we?"

"Yep," Mia beamed at him, "And there's nothing you can do about it."

Nodding, Aaron climbed to his feet and continued with the filing. "Whatever you say, little one."

* * *

"You have _got _to be joking!"

Morgan grinned, waving his forkful of chocolate cake through the air. "I'm not! Your man is a bit of a troublemaker!"

Laughing, Mia turned to Spencer. "I had no idea!"

Spencer shrugged, smirking proudly. "You don't mess with a Caltech graduate and not expect severe consequences."

Mia smiled and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Maybe later I'll mess with a Caltech graduate," she said, her voice low, "And we'll just see about those consequences."

The table erupted into a chorus of hoots and hollers. Clearly she hadn't spoken as quietly as she'd intended. Or the group of FBI agents were extremely good listeners. Either way, Mia blushed furiously. Spencer grinned at her, his eyes wide, a light pink coloring his cheeks. Winking at him, she turned away, catching sight of her brother. Aaron sat across the table, shaking his head with mock chagrin, his eyes twinkling with laughter.

To her left, Penelope clapped, giggling happily. "You two are _seriously _the cutest ever."

As the laughter died down and everyone started chattering happily, Mia sat back and smiled, finding Spencer's hand beneath the table and twining her fingers with his. She felt so happy, so completely at peace. She so loved spending time with the team, like they were one big happy family. After her day with Aaron, they'd all gathered around a big round table at the cutest little sushi restaurant, and the fun hadn't stopped since they sat down. To her right, Spencer was struggling with his chopsticks—something he couldn't get the hang of no matter how hard he tried, for which the team teased him mercilessly. To her left, Penelope and Kevin were jokingly trying to convince Dave to attend the upcoming comicon with them. Across the table, Aaron sat in quiet conversation with JJ, whose husband had been busy with work and couldn't attend. Derek and Emily sat next to JJ, also engrossed in their own quiet little conversation. Everyone was happy, and smiling, and everything was perfect. Mia could not imagine loving anyone more than she loved this group of people.

When Aaron's phone rang a half hour later, everyone was loudly discussing the upcoming Governor's Ball, which the team was expected to attend. Aaron had announced that they would all be attending, like it or not, and the team had erupted into a chorus of moaning and groaning and arguing. Mia couldn't understand everyone's issue with the ball—she was very much so looking forward to it. One of her first dates with Spencer had been a black tie event, and they'd had a wonderful time. She couldn't wait to get all dressed up and have a repeat of one of the most magical nights with the most wonderful man.

"Guys, guys," Aaron said suddenly, the relaxed, amused look he'd worn all day gone, "It's Strauss. Quiet."

The table immediately fell silent.

"Chief Strauss," Aaron answered, his professional agent voice back on, "What's going on?"

Mia only half listened to the conversation, her heart dropping. If Erin Strauss was contacting the team, something was up. If something was up, the team had to leave. If the team had to leave, she had to say goodbye to Spencer. Again. Her grip on his hand tightened. He glanced at her, sensing her worry, and gave her a small smile. She couldn't return it.

"Well?" Dave asked the moment Aaron set his phone down. "What's up?"

Aaron sighed. "Someone's bombing churches in Dallas, Texas," he said, "In the past two days there have been three explosions. They're up to six confirmed deaths and too many injuries to count. We're expected by morning."

Everyone jumped to their feet immediately and Aaron started barking out orders while Dave hurried off to pay the bill. Mia remained silent, taking a deep, calming breath. Spencer pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before ushering her out of her seat and helping her into her coat. Of course they had a case. Of _course _it involved bombs and explosions and death. As soon as things got good, as soon as she was comfortable and happy and everything was perfect, her family, her loved ones, got sent off to unknowable dangers. Typical.

"Okay, Garcia, Dallas PD is sending us everything they've got so far," Aaron said as they all stepped outside into the dark, breezy evening. "I want you to get to the office and start sorting through everything. See what you can find on the victims and their families. Kevin we could use all hands on deck here, if you don't mind."

Kevin nodded. "I'd be happy to help."

"Everyone else, meet at the airstrip ASAP," Aaron continued after both technical analysts had hurried off, hand in hand. "Mia, Jack's with a sitter right now. Jess had dinner plans. I'll give her a call on the way. Could you make sure he gets there?"

"Don't call Jess," Mia said softly, "I'll take Jack."

Aaron frowned slightly. "You're sure? We might be gone a few days. You have the shop and—"

"Aaron, it's fine," Mia said, cutting him off. "We'll figure it out. Jess always gets him. Let me help out."

Aaron nodded, gave her a quick hug, and hurried off with the rest of the team in tow, leaving Mia alone with Spencer. She turned to him, fighting back the tears that always seemed to well up when the team got called away. He smiled sadly and brushed a stray curl from her face. Mia took a shaky breath, taking his hands and stepping closer.

"Tell me you love me."

"I love you, Mia."

Mia blinked away a tear that managed to get past her barricade. "Tell me you'll come home safely."

"I will come home safely."

"And you won't get yourself blown up."

Spencer chuckled softly. "I will do everything in my power."

Mia smiled despite herself. "Good," she whispered, standing on tiptoe to kiss him lightly, "Because I'm not done with you yet."

Spencer wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, wordlessly deepening the kiss. The world around them melted away. It didn't matter that Aaron stood nearby, waiting for the remaining member of his team to get going. The fact that the man she loved and their makeshift family were heading off to chase some madman with a thing for blowing people up was no longer relevant. All Mia could focus on was the kiss that currently had her toes curling, and the man in whose arms she stood. She wished with every fiber of her being for the moment to last forever.

It ended much too soon.

"Please don't go," she whispered, "Sit this one out."

Spencer sighed, resting his forehead against hers. "I can't," he replied softly. "You know I can't."

Mia nodded. "Call me when you can, okay? Even if it's the middle of the night. Call me."

"I promise," Spencer breathed. "I love you, Mia."

Mia pressed one last kiss to his lips before taking a step back. "I love you too, Spence."

He gave her a tight smile before turning and hurrying away, jumping into a waiting SUV, and disappearing into the night. Mia stood there for a few moments, staring blankly at the spot he'd last stood, wondering if seeing him go would ever get easier, if she'd ever be able to deal with it without being an emotional mess.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Happy Monday! As always, love you all! Enjoy :) **

* * *

_Chapter Four_

"Aunty Mia, I don't want to wait for them to cook."

Mia smiled, ruffling her beloved nephew's soft blonde hair. "It won't be too long, buddy."

Jack stared up at her, his dark eyes pleading. "Can't we just eat the cookies cold?"

Laughing, Mia dropped a kiss on his forehead before carrying the tray of uncooked chocolate chip cookies to the oven. "They'll be much tastier warm," she assured him. "We can have them with milk. They'll be all gooey and delicious. _Definitely_ worth the wait."

Jack seemed unconvinced, but didn't press the matter. When the cookies were safely in the oven, Mia returned to the counter they'd been working on, grabbed the bowl and spatula, and handed it to the sweet little boy she'd spent the day with. He grinned and hurried over to the small round table to enjoy his spoils, humming to himself happily. Mia watched him for a few moments, her heart full of love. That boy, that sweet little nephew of hers, was the only thing making being away from Spencer bearable.

While Jack licked the bowl clean of cookie dough, Mia worked at tidying the kitchen they'd managed to destroy during their baking adventures. Mia hadn't seen such a mess after a simple batch of cookies since she was just a little girl and her brothers hadn't kept a close enough eye on her while babysitting. The thought of the incident made her smile for a moment, and then made her miss Aaron, which simply reminded her that she missed Spencer. It was as if every little thing made her think of him.

"Aunty Mia, they're ready!" Jack cried when the timer dinged a while later. "They're ready, they're ready, they're _ready_!"

Mia quickly dried her hands on her apron, hurrying over to get the cookies from the oven. Jack stood a few feet away, rocking excitedly on the balls of his feet, bits of raw cookie dough adorning his cute little cheeks. Mia carefully transferred the cookies onto the cooling rack before depositing the dirty pan into the soapy sink. Jack yammered impatiently as she grabbed the glasses she'd set in the freezer at the start of the cookie preparation, poured two ice cold cups of milk, and brought them over to the table. She then grabbed a small plate, loaded on a few steaming cookies, and brought that, too, to the table.

Just as they took their seats readied themselves to dig in, Mia's phone rang loudly from across the room.

"Maybe it's Daddy!"

Mia's heart leapt into her throat. The team had arrived in Texas early that morning, and other than a brief 'just landed' text from Spencer, she hadn't heard a thing from them. She'd been waiting anxiously all day for news, for confirmation of their safety. When she reached her phone and saw Aaron's face smiling up at her, she quickly hit the answer button, hoping for the best but fearing the worst.

"Aaron," she greeted nervously, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he replied instantly. "Everyone is fine. How are you guys doing?"

Mia relaxed against the counter, relieved. "We're good. How's the case?"

"Not so good," Aaron sighed. "We're getting nowhere. Is Jack around?"

After making her brother promise to order Spencer to call her ASAP, Mia brought the phone over to an extremely excited Jack. His cookies sat forgotten on the table as he bounced up and down in his seat, his eyes shining happily. The moment the phone was against his face he jumped into telling his father all about his day, starting with their trip to a nearby coffee shop for breakfast.

"We had donuts, Daddy," Jack exclaimed, "_Donuts _for _breakfast_!"

Mia shook her head with a laugh. On their way to get their breakfast that morning, she'd told Jack numerous times that the donuts had to stay between them, so of _course _they were the first thing he mentioned. She wondered vaguely what else the kid would rat on her for, and when the next time Aaron would allow her to babysit would be.

As she watched Jack blather on animatedly about his day with his aunt, Mia felt a painful twinge of her heart. If it was difficult for her to be away from Spencer, she could only imagine how tough it was for Aaron to be away from his son. Jack dealt with the situation like a tiny little champ, though. Mia could only hope that someday she'd deal with things even half as well as her seven year old nephew.

"Okay Daddy, I will," Jack said a while later. "I love you too!"

Mia smiled, taking the phone back from her nephew. "Aaron?"

"Donuts for breakfast?"

"Oh don't start," she laughed. "We needed comfort food."

Aaron sighed. "Fine. But don't make it a habit."

"Yeah, yeah. Get my other favourite agent to call me now, please."

"Yeah, yeah," Aaron mimicked, a smile evident in his voice. "I'll call tomorrow before Jack leaves for school."

"Talk to you then," Mia said with a smile. "And Aaron? Be safe, please."

"Always."

Mia had time to get Jack set up in the living room with his milk, cookies, and a movie before the Doctor Who theme song started playing in the kitchen. Smiling widely, Mia hurried back to the little kitchen table, sinking into the seat she'd just vacated and putting her phone to her ear.

"Spencer," she breathed happily, "I miss you."

"I'm pretty sure I miss you more."

Mia laughed softly. "I don't think that's possible."

For the next fifteen minutes, Mia and Spencer chatted contentedly about everything as far from the case as possible. He laughed loudly at her story of Jack dropping half a carton of eggs on the kitchen floor, and he let it slip that Derek had stumbled down the steps of the jet when they arrived in Texas. They discussed plans for a romantic date night as soon as Spencer was back in town. Mia had just started telling him of a new idea she'd had for a kids' section at the bookstore, inspired by Jack of course, when there was sudden outburst of commotion on his end.

"There's been another explosion," Spencer said hurriedly, interrupting her, "I'm sorry Mia. I have to go."

"Oh God. Be careful," Mia pleaded softly. "Please."

"I love you."

"Love you too."

Mia waited until the line went dead before slowly setting her phone down. She and Spencer had been dating for the better part of a year already, meaning she'd dealt with nearly a year's worth of cases and long distances and dangerous situations, and she still hadn't come close to getting used to it. Every time he had to leave town it was as if her heart broke a little, and every time he came home he managed to put it back together, only to have it break again when he had to leave a few days later. She loved him, with every fiber of her being, and she wanted to support him, but it was just so difficult to do so when all she could focus on was the possibility of him not making it home alive.

"Aunty Mia?"

Mia looked up to find Jack in the doorway, his empty cookie plate in hand. "Hey bud," she said, wiping away a stray tear she hadn't realized had fallen, "You need more cookies?"

Jack nodded, crossing the small kitchen to set his plate on the table carefully. He stood there a moment, eyeing Mia thoughtfully, his cute little face scrunched up in a frown. "Aunty Mia, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she assured him, mustering up a smile. "Don't you worry about me, sweetheart."

"But you're crying."

Mia pulled him into a hug, pressing a kiss atop his blonde head. "Sometimes," she told him quietly, "I get scared when Daddy and Uncle Spencer are away at work."

Jack wrapped his arms around her neck and crawled into her lap, giving her cheek a sloppy little kiss. "I get scared too," he said. "But I just remember that Daddy is a superhero and he's helping people who need him, and then I'm not so scared anymore."

Mia smiled, fresh tears stinging her eyes. "I'm glad I've got you here with me, bud."

Jack snuggled closer, an impressive feat considering how much he'd grown. "Me too, Aunty Mia."

* * *

"Sweet Pea! What a pleasant surprise!"

Mia beamed at Penelope, setting the Chinese takeout atop the break room table. "Jack had a play date with a friend from school," she explained, "And Spence told me that you all figured out who the unsub was and they're about to catch him. So I thought we could have dinner to celebrate while we wait for everyone to get home."

Penelope clapped her hands excitedly as she took a seat. "You're the _best_!"

"Where's Kevin? And Andy! There's enough for him, too!"

Penelope shrugged and reached for a carton and a pair of chopsticks, a hungry smile on her face. Mia laughed, pleased to see the usual stress that accompanied a case gone from her friend's eyes, and turned to search for the absent men. Penelope called after her with a mouthful of noodles, exclaiming that she should forget the boys and leave more food for the ladies. Mia shook her head with a smile and stepped out into the bullpen. Kevin and Andy stood across the room in front of a large, flat screen television with a few agents she didn't recognize.

"Andy, Kev," she called as she joined the small group, "I've got lunch in the—"

Mia caught sight of the image on the television and trailed off uncertainly. Beside her, Andy tensed. A handsome, older gentleman was on screen, discussing an urgent newsflash that was interrupting whatever sports report had been on. Everyone watched silently as the reporter on screen, discussing the old church behind him, currently surrounded by police tape and swat vans. Mia didn't need to ask to know what was happening. After a few moments there was a sudden explosion, engulfing the church into a mountain of flames and smoke, causing the reporter to cover his head and dive off screen. The camera shook for a moment before the man was back, his expression calm and collected.

"We just got word that a team of FBI agents arrived earlier to investigate the building," the reporter said, his voice betraying her fear. "Our sources suggest that the man responsible for the recent bombings is inside, along with the elite team of agents who were pursuing him."

A wave of nausea hit Mia and she began to shake, hysteria rising in her chest. "Penelope," she whispered, reaching out and clutching Andy's arm. "Get Penelope!"

Andy barked out an order to one of the other agents standing there, and he hurried off immediately. Mia only had to wait a moment before Penelope was by her side, a hand covering her mouth, her eyes swimming in tears. They watched together as flames licked up the side of the building, the roof caving in on over half the church, the firemen fighting a losing battle. Mia stared at the television in horror, refusing to believe what the reporter had said. He hadn't specified that the 'elite team of agents' was _her_ elite team of agents. There was no way that her family, the people she loved, were all trapped inside a building that was quickly burning to the ground.

Shaking herself out of her stupor, she reached for her phone and quickly dialled Spencer's number, putting her phone to her ear, holding her breath nervously. It rang five times before his voicemail told her he was unavailable. Doing her best not to panic, she hung up and tried Aaron's number. Again, after five rings, his voicemail clicked in. Taking a shaky breath, she tried Dave's number, though she knew on the third ring that she wouldn't be getting through to any of them.

Mia wanted to throw her phone in frustration. "Is it them?" She asked, her voice low and trembling. "Are they in there?"

Kevin cleared his throat. "There's no way to know for—"

"Andy?" Mia whispered, cutting Kevin off. "Are they in there?"

Andy shifted slightly, putting a comforting arm around Mia. Affection was very out of character for the normally stoic, overly professional agent, and Mia knew. There was no need for Andy to reply, no need for him to confirm the assumptions she'd made. She knew.

"I'm sorry, Mia."

Mia shut her eyes, feeling suddenly weak. If not for Andy's support, she likely would have fallen to the ground. "All of them?"

Andy sighed. "All of them."

* * *

**A/N: Ahh! We all know how much I like a good cliffhanger :) Review review review and the next chapter will be up before you know it! :) _  
_**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I wish I could hug each and every one of you. For real. Enjoy :) **

* * *

_Chapter Five_

"This can't be happening. _This_ _can't be happening_."

"Penelope, just calm down. Who can we call?"

"Calm down? _Calm down?!_"

"We need to stay calm," Kevin explained, "We need to figure this out."

Mia sat behind Spencer's desk, staring unseeingly at the nearby television. Andy had directed her to the chair, grabbed a glass of water for her, and then hurried off to deal with the situation at hand. Kevin stood with his arms around a panicking Penelope, trying to convince her to get to her office and work some magic. Mia could feel her own panic setting in, replacing the shock that had been keeping her quiet up until this point.

"Pen," she said hoarsely, getting to her feet, "We need to find them."

Penelope turned to her tearfully. "We know where they are."

"They're fine," Mia assured her, desperately trying to convince herself as well as her friend. "They're all fine. We just need to get in touch with someone, to figure out what to do next. Kevin's right. We need to calm down."

Taking a deep breath, Penelope nodded and dried her tears before hurrying off in the direction of her lair. Kevin flashed Mia a comforting smile before following his girlfriend down the hall. Mia stood uncertainly by Spencer's desk for a few moments, her mind a foggy mess, wondering what she could do to be useful. After checking the clock and noting that she had an hour and a half before she had to go pick up Jack, she took a deep breath and followed the pair of technical analysts.

"Sir, I don't think you understand," Penelope was saying as she reached the small, dark room. "I could make your life a living hell with the click of a button, and no one would ever know it was me."

Mia moved close to Kevin. "What's going on?"

Kevin glanced up at her from the computer screen he was focused on. "The dispatch at the station in Dallas won't connect her with the lead detective on the case."

Within moments Penelope had threatened enough people and had the number to the detective on the case. Mia took a seat atop a small table in the corner and waited anxiously for news. Andy joined her within thirty seconds, sitting next to her silently, phone in hand. Penelope continued to bark orders at whomever she'd reached on the other line, her panic turning into a fury Mia hoped would never be turned on her. Kevin hit a sequence of keys on the computer in front of him and suddenly the explosion's news coverage was on three of the large screens in the room.

"We're getting word that some FBI agents have made it out of the building," the reporter said, "No confirmation on names, on what happened inside, or if the culprit was in there too, but if there are updates you'll hear them here first."

Andy let out a derisive laugh. "Doubtful."

"Rossi!" Penelope's sudden screech made Mia jump. "Oh God, are you alright? Is every one okay?"

"Lynch, speaker phone!" Andy hissed at Kevin. "Speaker phone, speaker phone!"

Kevin nodded and spun towards Penelope. Mia gave Andy a grateful pat on the knee, her eyes glued to the television screen, waiting to see her boys stumble from the burning building, coughing, but safe. Andy waited next to her with bated breath, while Kevin's gaze remained on Penelope.

"Garcia," Dave's voice came through, raspy and low, "I'm okay. Erikson had a bomb on him, and none of us realized until it was too late. Prentiss, Hotch, and Reid are still inside."

Mia stopped listening as Dave went on to explain what had happened, how they'd made it out alive, and why both of her men were still trapped inside. The thought of them stuck in the building, the smoke filling their lungs, and their consciousness fading steadily brought tears to Mia's eyes. Without taking her eyes from the television screen Mia reached over and found Andy's hand, clinging to it tightly. He gave her a comforting squeeze, but said nothing.

"I'll call you as soon as I know anything," Rossi said. "We're going to get them out."

Five minutes passed. No body spoke. Ten minutes rolled around. Still no one said a word. Mia and Andy sat on the table, hands clasped, eyes on the screens. Penelope and Kevin sat a few feet away, their arms around each other, Penelope's face streaked with tears and buried in his chest. When they hit fifteen minutes the tension was palpable, everyone holding their breath, anxious for news. A sudden outcry of noise on the television had all four of them jumping to their feet.

"There they are!"

"They're okay!"

"Oh thank God. _Thank God_."

Spencer and Emily emerged from the building, closely followed by Aaron and the pair of fire fighters that had gone in to rescue them. Mia was so overwhelmed with relief that she nearly sunk to the floor. Andy caught her before she fell and moved her back towards the table, steadying her until he was sure she wouldn't topple over. While Penelope hugged her, sobbing hysterically, Mia remained quiet, simply letting it all sink in.

"Garcia?" Rossi was back, sounding one hundred percent less anxious than he had during their last call. "Garcia, we've got them."

As Penelope replied tearfully, Mia's phone vibrated in her hand. She gazed down at it, brow furrowed. She hadn't even been aware that she was holding it, her grip so tight it bordered on painful. Loosening her fingers, she found Spencer's face smiling up at her, and a small sob escaped her lips. Ignoring Andy's imploring look she got to her feet, hurried out of the office, and found a private little alcove. Collapsing against the wall, she put the phone to her ear and waited, unable to speak.

"Mia?" Spencer's voice was barely more than a whisper, so raspy it made Mia's throat hurt. "Mia, are you there?"

Tears began streaming down Mia's cheeks silently as she let herself slide down the wall until she was seated on the floor. Spencer continued to say her name, but all she could do was cry.

"Mia, say something," Spencer pleaded. "Tell me you can hear me?"

Mia took a deep breath. "I'm here."

"We're okay, Mia," he assured her. "We're all okay. I'm okay, Hotch is okay, everyone is okay. The guy that did it didn't make it, but we're done. We'll be home soon."

Spencer continued to reassure her, and Mia could hear paramedics fussing over him in the background. Mia stayed quiet, nodding over and over as he spoke, his voice slowly calming her hysteria. At one point he paused briefly to demand that the paramedics give him some privacy, but within seconds of returning to his soothing words of comfort he succumbed to an uncontrollable coughing fit.

"Spence," Mia whispered, "Let them fix you, please. I'm okay."

It was a few moments before Spencer could speak again. "I'm fine," he lied hoarsely. "I don't need them."

"You do," Mia argued. "I have to go get Jack anyway. Just let them fix you up and send you home to me, please."

Spencer coughed again. "I love you, Mia."

Mia swallowed a fresh flood of tears. "I love you too. Come home. _Now._"

* * *

"You're sure you'll be okay?"

"Andy, I'll be fine," Mia said, smiling tiredly up at the man that was quickly becoming a good friend. "I promise. Jack is asleep, and they'll be home soon. I'm good."

Andy nodded. "Alright," he said, giving her a brief hug before turning towards the door. "Call if you need anything, okay?"

"Got it. Thanks, Andy. For everything."

Smiling, Andy grabbed his suit jacket, waved, and left. Mia shut the door behind him, locking the deadbolt out of habit—drilled into her by Spencer—and moved to the living room in a bit of a fog. While she'd wanted badly to wait at Quantico for Spencer and Aaron to return, she'd needed to collect Jack from his friend's house and make sure he was home in time to greet his father. Andy had insisted on accompanying her, not trusting her emotional state enough to let her drive herself, and had stuck around long enough to make sure she was okay. She'd tried to convince him that she'd be fine without him, but she'd really appreciated the company.

Now that he was gone, and Jack was asleep on the sofa, Mia's apartment seemed too big, too empty, and far too quiet. Mia sunk into her favourite armchair, pulled her knees up to her chest, and waited. She watched Jack sleep peacefully, comforted by his closeness, longing for some peace of her own. She toyed with her cellphone, scrolling through photos of her and Spencer over the past nine months. She nursed the glass of wine Andy had pushed into her hands the moment they'd reached her apartment. She ordered herself over and over not to meltdown when her brother and boyfriend finally arrived.

Exactly eleven and a half minutes passed before there was a quiet knock at the door. Mia took a deep breath, set her wine down, and tiptoed to check the peephole. Aaron and Spencer stood in the hallway, both still sporting the soot and grime from the fire. A painful looking gash adorned Aaron's cheek, and Spencer's shirt was burnt and frayed on one side. Mia choked back a sob, leaning her forehead against the door, suddenly trembling from head to foot.

"Mia," Aaron called, knocking once more, "Open the door."

Taking another deep, shaky breath, Mia unbolted the door and pulled it open. Aaron immediately drew her into a tight hug, shushing her as she buried her face in his chest, dampening his smoky shirt with tears. He stroked her hair back, assuring her that he was fine, that everything was fine, pressing kisses atop her head as he spoke. They stood embracing for a few moments before Aaron handed her to Spencer and strode off in search of Jack.

Mia said nothing as she fell into Spencer's arms. For several minutes the only words either spoke were their hushed goodbyes to Aaron and a very sleepy little Jack. When they'd been left alone, Spencer locked the door and steered Mia towards the bedroom. He led her to the bed and directed her into a seated position before kneeling in front of her.

"I'm okay," he whispered, brushing her hair aside and swiping her tears away with his thumb. "I'm home. I'm here. We're okay."

Mia nodded shakily. "I know."

"I'm not going anywhere, Mia," Spencer smiled softly. "Not for a very long time. You're stuck with me."

Mia laughed despite herself and kissed him gently. "Good."

Spencer pressed another kiss to her lips before straightening. "I have to shower. And throw out these clothes. I'll be right back."

Mia nodded and watched him disappear into the bathroom before getting to her feet and stripping out of her own clothing. She tossed everything in the direction of the laundry hamper before searching her chest of drawers for a nightgown of some sort. After slipping on a Star Wars t-shirt she'd stolen from Spencer, she crawled back into bed, pulled the covers up to her chin, and watched the bathroom door.

When Spencer emerged ten minutes later, a dark green towel wrapped around his waist, Mia was struggling to stay awake. She had just enough awareness to smile when his towel dropped, replaced slowly with a pair of checked shorts, and admire the way his damp skin glistened in the dim light as he moved towards the bed. Spencer smiled at her, sliding into bed and pulling her close. Mia sighed, breathing deeply the scent of his simple, clean, masculine soap.

"I'm not very good at this," she breathed, snuggling closely beneath the covers. "It's never going to get easier."

Spencer brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead gently. "Maybe not," he agreed quietly, "But we'll figure it out. It won't always be like this."

Mia shifted so she could see his face. "You mean it won't always be you, and Aaron, and everyone else I love nearly dying?"

"Not every time."

"But I'll feel like this," Mia argued. "I'll worry about all of you every time you leave. Every time your phone rings, and you get called off on a new case, I'll only be able to think of all the terrible ways for it to end. Every time my phone rings, I think it's going to be someone calling to tell me that you didn't make it, that whatever maniac you're chasing got to you first. I'm constantly terrified, Spencer. It's just so hard."

Sadness flashed across Spencer's face. "Are we breaking up?"

"No!" Mia exclaimed loudly, her eyes wide. "No, of _course_ not. I just…I love you, Spencer. I can't lose you."

Spencer kissed her softly, lovingly, and pulled her close again. "You're not going to lose me, Mia," he promised. "I won't ever let that happen."

* * *

**A/N: Your reviews encourage me to update faster, so review review review :) **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: You guys are the best! Enjoy :)  
**

* * *

_Chapter Six_

"I can't wear this! It has pinstripes!"

"They're very thin. Barely even noticeable! Besides, what's wrong with pinstripes?!"

"Do you want me going to this thing looking like Ten?"

Mia smiled, smoothing the front of Spencer's tux. "This doesn't look anything like Ten's suit. Though I see nothing wrong with looking like Ten," she said, standing on tiptoe to kiss him softly. "But I think you look more like you. Very dashing. I like the pinstripes."

Spencer frowned at his reflection. "I don't know," he sighed. "Do we really have to go to this thing?"

"Yes, we do. Don't worry, though. I think once you see what _I _plan on wearing," Mia smiled, "You'll be a _bit_ more enthusiastic."

After another quick kiss Mia shooed him back towards the dressing room, having decided on the pinstriped tuxedo once and for all. After the team's emotional return from Texas two nights previously, Mia and Spencer had spent an entire day in bed, getting up only for food, water, and a fun shared shower break. Mia felt like they had sufficiently made up for the heartache and exhaustion they'd both faced as a result of the bombing, and had insisted they spend the next day shopping for the upcoming Governor's Ball. Spencer had agreed reluctantly, not entirely keen on the idea of a stuffy FBI event, but they'd had a fun day of shopping nonetheless.

"When _do _I get to see what you plan on wearing?" Spencer asked as he emerged from the dressing room a few minutes later, his tux slung neatly over his arm. "We've only shopped for me today. When did you even get a chance to choose something?"

Mia smiled, taking his free hand and leading the way to the checkout counter. "It's been nearly a week since I found out about the ball," she told him. "I've had plenty of time to choose something."

"Don't I get to see it?"

"Of course you do," Mia laughed, "Saturday night, when I put it on for the party."

Spencer handed the cashier his credit card before frowning at Mia. "That doesn't seem fair," he argued, a sparkle of amusement in his dark eyes. "You just got to help choose what I'm wearing, and I don't even get to see what you're wearing until we're about to leave?"

Mia waited until they were out of earshot of the cashier before replying. "You don't get to see the dress," she said quietly as they walked towards the car, "But if you _want_ we can stop at Victoria's Secret and you can choose what's going underneath it."

Spencer's eyes grew wide and, with a big smile, he quickened his pace. Mia laughed and hurried after him.

"You'll model everything, right?" He asked as he reached the car and placed his tux in the backseat carefully. "I mean, I had to model everything _you _chose. It's only fair."

"Fair's fair," Mia agreed, "And maybe we can get a little something extra. Just for fun."

Spencer flashed the toothy, lopsided grin she loved so much. "I like the sound of that."

* * *

"Garcia, we'll be there," Spencer said for the third time, "I promise!"

"I just want to make sure you're not all going to bail on me! I don't want to get there and explain to Strauss why _no one else_ is there!"

"Between you and Mia I really don't think it would be possible for any of us to bail."

Garcia laughed. "Good point."

At that moment the door to Mia's bedroom opened down the hall and Spencer spun around, his eyes on the archway to the living room, excited to see what Mia had chosen for the Governor's Gala. A small part of him was aware of Garcia chattering in his ear, but it was a very small part. The rest of him was focused on the sound of high heels clicking slowly down the hardwood floor, on the gorgeous woman that would appear before him any second now.

"Spence?"

The sound of her voice, soft and uncertain, met his ears milliseconds before she rounded the corner. Spencer felt his jaw drop and eyes grow wide. She stood there, smiling nervously, looking like an angel in red. She was the absolute personification of beautiful. She wore a strapless, floor length, red dress that hugged her curves in all the right places with a slit running up one side, revealing a glimpse of her sparkly heels and perfect, shapely legs. A thin strand of diamonds adorned her neck, and she wore just enough makeup to make her eyes sparkle brightly. Her hair was pulled back into an elegant up-do, but dark curls had already started coming loose from the confines of the pins, and Spencer was sure she'd let her hair down before the end of the night.

"Uh, Garcia," he managed to croak, "I have to go. I'll see you there."

Without waiting for a response he hung up, tossed his phone in the direction of the sofa, and closed the distance between himself and Mia. She smiled up at him, chewing her lower lip in the way that drove him crazy, but said nothing. Unable to string a coherent sentence together, Spencer simply ducked his head and kissed her. Mia sighed happily, clinging to the front of his jacket as he pulled her close. For a few brief seconds, Spencer forgot that they were on their way to an FBI event he was dreading.

"We should probably go," Mia whispered, pulling away after a few moments. "We're going to be late."

Spencer sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. "I'd really rather not."

"We promised," Mia reminded him softly, pressing another quick kiss to his lips. "We have to go."

"Everyone else will be there," Spencer argued, tightening his hold on her. "They won't miss us. We could stay here. Have some wine. Just…be together."

Sliding her hands up to the back of his neck, twining her fingers in his hair, Mia pulled his face down and kissed him deeply. Spencer ran his hands down Mia's back, enjoying the silkiness of her dress hugging her feminine curves, but wanting desperately to unzip her and watch the red fabric drop to the floor. While choosing her lingerie for the evening had seemed like a good idea at the time, Spencer was now painfully aware of what waited beneath the admittedly beautiful dress, and he knew the mere thought would kill him before the end of the evening.

"Spencer," Mia said, breaking away from the kiss breathlessly, "We really do have to go."

Taking a deep breath, Spencer nodded and stepped back reluctantly. Mia smiled, reached out to straighten his tie and neaten his hair, and then turned towards the door. Spencer remained motionless for a moment, his eyes on his gorgeous girlfriend's retreating backside. The passionate, animalistic side that Mia brought out in him no longer came as a surprise, but he knew it wouldn't do to show up at the gala feeling the way he did. Shutting his eyes, he took a few deep breaths, telling himself to get a grip.

"Spence?" Mia called from the door. "Are you coming?"

Exhaling slowly, Spencer grabbed his keys and hurried to where Mia waited. "Sorry," he said quietly. "Feeling a little bit…distracted."

Mia laughed as she opened the door. Turning back to him, she smirked a dangerously sexy smirk that had Spencer's breath catching in his throat. "We may just have to find somewhere private during the ball," she said as she moved backwards through the door, "Break a few rules, maybe."

Spencer's mind was a swirling haze of desire the entire ride to the hotel hosting the gala. He could only smile when Garcia proclaimed that he and Mia were the 'cutest couple _ever_,' and remained silent as Mia chatted happily with the team. While Spencer was driven crazy every time she brushed up against him, Mia seemed to be completely immune to the sexual charge between the two of them. Her furtive glances and secretive smirks, however, told him that she was perfectly aware of what she was doing.

"Little Hotchner," Morgan said a while later, after dinner and speeches were finished, "Care to dance?"

Mia beamed up at him, slipping her hand into his own outstretched one. "I would _love _to," she said, getting to her feet gracefully. As she stood, her free hand grazed Spencer's upper thigh, causing him to jump slightly. She winked at him. "You're next, _mio amore_."

As Mia and Morgan walked away, arm in arm, the rest of the table erupted into a chorus of laughter and cheering. "Reid," Rossi chuckled, "You look like you're about ready to pounce on her."

Spencer took a deep, calming breath—for the hundredth time that evening—and forced a grin. "She knows I enjoy it when she speaks Italian."

As he gazed around the table, he was relieved to see that Hotch was not present to witness whatever the rest of the team could clearly see written all over his face. He'd thought he was doing such a good job at keeping his desires at bay. Apparently not. Giving his head a slight shake, he silently scolded himself. He was an FBI agent with an IQ of 187. If he couldn't control his urges, there was no hope for the rest of the world.

"I'm happy for you, you know," JJ's voice cut through his quiet reflection. "You and Mia. You're adorable together."

Spencer smiled. "I don't think I've ever been happier."

"I can tell," his friend agreed with a smile of her own. "I just have _one _question."

"What's that?"

"You are _clearly _going crazy here," she pointed out. "You can barely keep your eyes off her."

"JJ, that's not a question."

JJ laughed. "Well, what are you doing sitting here with us? Dinner is done, speeches are done. Our obligation has been fulfilled. Go get your girlfriend and bring her home!"

Spencer narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, gazing in the direction of the dance floor. Somewhere in the dense crowd of people Mia was dancing with Morgan, their arms around each other. A strange wave of jealousy mixed in with his excitement at the prospect of getting Mia home, and suddenly he felt like an idiot for letting her wander off. Flashing JJ a small smile, he stood and hurried towards the crowded dance floor.

"Morgan," he called out, spotting the pair and making a beeline for them, "Mind if I cut in?"

Smiling knowingly, Morgan nodded. "Have fun, you two."

The moment Morgan was gone Spencer drew Mia close, one hand taking hers, the other finding her lower back. She smiled up at him, chewing her lower lip, her eyes sparkling brightly in the dim light. Spencer smiled down at her as they revolved slowly on the spot.

"You're not playing fair," he whispered, "And you know it."

Mia blinked up at him, her smile widening. "I'm having fun."

Spencer nodded. "I can see that."

"Have you had enough, Doctor?" Mia asked, pressing herself closer to his body. "Shall we head home?"

Spencer had to swallow twice before he could reply. "I don't think I can make it all the way home," he admitted. "Why don't we get a room here for the night?"

Mia's eyes widened excitedly and she nodded, turned, and led the way off the dance floor as quickly as her high heels would let her go. As they rushed past the table occupied by the BAU they heard hoots and hollers, but they paid no attention to the team. They hurried through the quiet hotel lobby hand in hand, both laughing excitedly. Glancing at the gorgeous woman next to him, in her beautiful gown, beaming up at him happily, Spencer felt vaguely like he was about to have the prom night he'd never had as a teenager.

It took all of five minutes to check into the hotel, but Spencer felt like an eternity had passed by the time they were falling through the door to their newly acquired room, their hands and mouths all over each other. While Spencer kicked the door shut behind them, Mia pushed his tuxedo jacket from his shoulders. Spencer wrapped his arms around her and deftly unfastened her dress, stepping back to watch it float to the floor, pooling around her feet in a puddle of red silk. For a moment he simply stood there, admiring her in her black lace lingerie, before he swept her up in his arms and carried her towards the bed.

"Doctor _Reid_," she giggled as he set her down and immediately began shucking his clothes. "You seem _very _wound up."

Stepping out of his trousers, Spencer joined her on the bed, his heart racing eagerly. "I love it when you call me Doctor."

Mia laughed and kissed him. "And I love that you are _my _Doctor."

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter will be up Monday! Review review review! :) **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I planned on writing some drama for today's chapter, but the world has been so ridiculous and upsetting lately that I thought some fluff would be a better idea. Enjoy! :) **

* * *

_Chapter Seven_

Mia sighed happily, swinging her legs up and resting her feet in Spencer's lap. He obligingly lifted his book, let her get comfortable, and then rested the thick leather bound volume gently atop her outstretched legs, his attention never leaving the page. Smiling to herself, Mia watched him for a few moments, admiring the way his eyes flew over the words—written in Italian, no less—at what should have been an impossible speed. If she didn't know any better she'd have assumed he was simply flipping through the book aimlessly. They'd been together nearly a year now, and still she found herself constantly impressed by his incredible genius.

Tearing her eyes away from her adorable man, Mia returned to her worn copy of _Pride & Prejudice_ and continued reading. Following a morning spent in bed with room service—and no clothes—they'd put their formal wear from the previous evening back on and returned to Mia's apartment where, after a long shower, they'd curled up on the sofa with a book and cup of coffee each. It was nearly dinner time already, and they'd only left the sofa briefly to refill their mugs. They'd spent all afternoon together in almost complete silence, each buried in their own books, and though they'd barely spoken to each other, Mia felt like they were having the best time. It was easily one of the most relaxing, most perfect Sundays she had ever had.

They were so engrossed in their novels that when Mia's phone rang twenty minutes later, both jumped, and Mia let out a tiny involuntary gasp. Both glanced at the phone in surprise, and then at each other, as if neither were sure what was happening. After a moment, Mia laughed and reached for it, glancing briefly at the caller ID before hitting the answer button and putting the phone to her ear.

"Penelope, my dear," she greeted happily, "Just give me a second."

Knowing Penelope calling could only lead to a lengthy conversation, and not wanting to disturb Spencer's reading, Mia decided it was probably a good time to head to the kitchen and find something for dinner. She got to her feet, stooped to press a kiss to Spencer's lips, causing him to smile, and then hurried off to let him get back to his book.

"What's up?" She asked as she reached the kitchen.

"I thought I'd check in," Penelope replied, "See what you and Boy Wonder are up to this fine Sunday afternoon."

Mia slipped her favourite pink apron over her head and tied it before responding. "We have had a _very _busy day of coffee and books."

Penelope laughed. "Sounds about right," she said. "You two were _so _made for each other."

Mia smiled as she grabbed a few things from the fridge. "We definitely were."

"So, you gonna tell me where you two disappeared to last night?"

"We got a room," Mia said simply. "How was the rest of the party?"

"It was good. Rossi and Strauss danced together for, like, an _hour_," her friend gushed. "But that's not important. I'm much more interested in _your _evening."

Mia laughed, balancing her phone between her ear and shoulder as she chopped up some vegetables. "You're not getting any details out of me, PG."

"Only because Reid is nearby," Penelope complained. "I'm gonna take you out for breakfast tomorrow before work, and you'll spill the beans then."

"I won't say no to a free breakfast," Mia commented lightly, "But I can assure you there will be no beans being spilled."

"Uh huh, we'll see. At _least _tell me you had a good time."

"I did."

"Did you get a lot of sleep?"

"I did not."

Penelope giggled gleefully. "Oh, you two," she gushed. "You're both so sweet and innocent until you get a moment alone together."

"Oh, Penny," Mia smirked, "You have _no _idea."

A half hour later, Mia promised to see Penelope first thing in the morning for breakfast before saying goodbye and setting her phone aside. After checking on the simple pasta dish she'd made for dinner, she threw a soft white table cloth on the small round table in the corner and searched through the cupboard for a set of candles. When the table was set, she put together a quick garden salad and placed it on the table along with a chilled bottle of wine. Humming softly to herself she put the finishing touches on dinner before removing her apron and tossing it towards the counter.

"Spence," she called as she lit the candles, "Dinner's ready!"

Spencer didn't reply, probably still lost in his book. Mia smiled, placed the lighter in a drawer, and headed for the living room. As she had expected, Spencer was right where she'd left him, his feet propped up on the coffee table, his cute little nose buried in his book. Mia leaned against the door jamb for a few moments, watching him quietly, so completely in love with him she wanted to cry.

"Spencer," she said again, moving closer to him and running a hand through his hair. He looked up, surprised. "Good book?"

He grinned. "It's great," he nodded. "I'm going through it a second time already."

Mia laughed. "Maybe later you could read it to me."

"It's in Italian."

"So?"

"So you don't speak Italian."

Mia shrugged. "I like when you do, though."

Spencer smiled, carefully marked his page with a piece of paper, and set it aside before getting to his feet and kissing her gently. "I will read whatever you want me to read."

"Good," Mia kissed him again before taking his hand and leading him towards the kitchen. "First, though, dinner is ready."

"You made dinner? When?"

"Just now," she laughed. "While I was talking to Penelope."

As they stepped into the kitchen and his saw the perfectly set table, Spencer's eyes went wide. "You did _all this_ while on the phone with Garcia?"

Mia smiled and took a seat as Spencer gallantly pulled out a chair for her. "I did."

Spencer dropped a quick kiss atop her head before moving around the table and sitting down. "I don't think I deserve you, Mia Hale."

"Don't be ridiculous," Mia said, pouring two glasses of wine. "You save the world—nearly getting yourself killed in the process—on a regular basis. A nice Sunday dinner is just a small part of the _many _things you deserve."

"You make it sound like I'm the Doctor or something."

Mia winked at him. "If you get yourself a TARDIS, I call dibs on companion. With benefits."

* * *

"Okay, Sweets, spill."

"Was it amazing?"

"Was it all night?"

"Was it romantic?"

"Was it kinky?"

Mia choked on her mimosa, causing their cute Portuguese waiter to hurry over worriedly. "I'm fine, I'm fine," she said, waving him off, gazing at her friends with wide eyes. "You two are _crazy_! At least let me order before you dive into my sex life."

Penelope and Alice grinned at each other and clinked glasses. Mia shook her head with an amused smile before glancing down at the menu, trying to decide what she was hungry for. After her usual morning run with Aaron and a quick cup of coffee with Spencer, she'd donned a pretty little flowery dress to meet up with her friends for brunch. As the team had missed out on having the Fourth of July off, having been busy getting trapped inside exploding buildings, Aaron had told everyone to take the morning off. While Mia was looking forward to her brunch with the ladies, she hoped to get home in time to see Spencer before he had to go back to work.

"Okay," Mia said as their waiter walked off with their orders a while later, "Let's have it. One question each. Pen, you first."

Penelope hesitated for a moment, sipping her mimosa thoughtfully. "Did he go crazy and ravish you until the wee hours of the morning?"

Mia laughed loudly. "He most certainly did ravish me," she nodded happily. "It was amazing. Ali?"

Alice set her own mimosa down and eyed Mia seriously. "I'm curious about Smart Guy's stamina," she said. "How many times?"

"This conversation never, _ever _leaves this table," Mia warned. "But five."

"FIVE?!" Both girls repeated in disbelief.

Mia quieted them with a look. "Yes, five," she assured them. "I mean…we took a few…breaks, of course.."

"Good grief," Penelope shook her head, smiling widely. "I had no idea Boy Wonder had it in him!"

"I didn't know _any _man had it in him!" Alice added.

Downing the last bit of her mimosa and smiling sweetly, Mia shrugged. "I guess I just bring out the best in him!"

Her friends both laughed, and Penelope nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, Sweet Pea, you so, _so _do."

* * *

**A/N: As always, love you all! :) **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I am _so _sorry it's been so long. Life got a little hectic with research papers and exams and everything. Bleh. But! I'm back now. And, as a reward for your patience, you get two chapters today! :) **

* * *

_Chapter Eight_

Stepping out of her uncomfortable nude pumps, Mia sighed in relief and made a mental note to never wear them for a full day at the shop ever again. After tossing her keys in the direction of the wooden bowl she kept by the door, and dropping her bag in the middle of the hallway, she headed for the bedroom, ready to exchange her pretty blue dress for something comfier. She and Spencer had dinner plans with Penelope and Kevin, but that wasn't until later in the evening, and Spencer wouldn't even be home from work for another hour, so she had plenty of time to veg out. She was in the midst of pulling on a pair of pink cotton shorts when she heard the distinct jingle of keys in the door, and she smiled brightly.

"Spencer," she called happily, grabbing a random t-shirt and hurrying from the room, "You're home early!"

Spencer met her in the hallway, dropping his bag and pulling her into a wordless embrace. Mia frowned slightly, but said nothing. They stood there in silence for several moments, Spencer's face buried in Mia's unruly curls, Mia's resting against his warm chest. After a bit, Spencer relaxed and took a small step back, his eyes meeting hers curiously.

"You're not wearing a shirt," he observed, his gaze dropping briefly to her bare torso. A light pink colored his cheeks, his eyes brightening ever so slightly. "I like that."

Mia laughed softly, stood on tiptoe to press a quick kiss to his lips, and then pulled her t-shirt over her head. "What's going on?" She asked, taking his hand and leading him towards the kitchen. "Rough day?"

Spencer sighed, sinking into one of the chairs at the small table in the corner. "You could say that."

Giving him a sympathetic look, Mia uncorked a bottle of wine, grabbed two glasses, and joined him at the table. "What happened?"

"Strauss is doing an inquiry about last week," he explained, accepting the glass she pushed his way. "She figures we could have avoided being trapped in that building."

"What do you mean?"

"She thinks we were put in unnecessary danger," Spencer said before downing his entire glass of wine in one go. "Apparently there was no reason for us to be in there in the first place."

Mia's eyes widened slightly at Spencer's uncharacteristic mood, but she simply refilled his glass without comment. "Does she not realize that you were after the unsub?"

Spencer shrugged. "I don't know," he grumbled. "Apparently we skipped over some sort of protocol, and she thinks we did so purposely."

"As in she thinks you all _meant _to get yourselves blown up?"

"Who knows what that woman thinks? She's had it out for the team since day one," he replied irritably, shoving a hand through his hair angrily as he gulped down his second glass of wine. "We all figured Rossi sleeping with her would calm her down a bit, but apparently we were mistaken."

Further surprised by his attitude, Mia smiled. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen you cranky before."

Spencer's eyes widened and he set his glass down. "I'm sorry," he said quickly, leaning forward and putting a hand over hers. "I didn't mean to be! I usually try to hide it from y—"

"Spence," Mia interrupted him, her smile growing, "You don't have to apologise for being cranky. Everyone has their days."

"I'd rather not have them with you, though," he told her sadly, tugging her from her chair to sit in his lap. "Of all people, you are the last one that deserves it."

Mia's arms snaked around his neck as she leaned in to kiss him. "If you can't be cranky with me, though, who can you be cranky with?"

"Anybody else in the world, preferably," Spencer smiled. He kissed her again, longer this time, before pulling back and glancing at his watch. "Are we still doing dinner with Garcia and Kevin?"

"I think we'll reschedule," Mia replied, leaning her head on his shoulder and snuggling closer. He tightened his arms obligingly. "You could probably use a night in with takeout and Doctor Who."

"That sounds great," Spencer chuckled, "If you want to go out, though, we can do that. I'm happy doing whatever you want."

Mia smiled and shut her eyes, happy to simply be in his arms. "I want to be here, with you, and no one else."

Spencer murmured a sound of agreement, and Mia felt him relax. Smiling softly, she took a deep breath, letting his simple, clean, masculine scent envelope her in a happy little bubble. While she could tell that Spencer was upset with the inquiry at the office, and she could only imagine how angry the rest of the team was, she was secretly grateful for Erin Strauss' personal vendetta against the team. An inquiry at the Bureau meant the team would be grounded for the next few days at the very least, which would mean no jetting off to terrifying, dangerous situations. She would have her man home for dinner for the next few evenings, and she would be able to fall asleep in his arms for the next few nights. She made a mental note to send the team's boss a bouquet of flowers in thanks. Anonymously, of course.

"You should call Garcia," Spencer said after a while. "And we should move to the sofa, or the bed, or somewhere comfier than a kitchen chair."

Mia smiled and reluctantly got to her feet. "You order dinner," she said as she walked towards the hallway. "Make sure to get lots of those vegetables I like. And extra fortune cookies!"

Spencer muttered something about having an eidetic memory and knowing their usual order, causing Mia to laugh softly. Whereas normal couples would be irritated by each other's bad moods, she found Spencer's crankiness endearing. It was difficult for her to imagine a side of him she wouldn't enjoy. Smiling happily, she found her bag by the door and dug out her phone.

"Hey, sweets," Penelope greeted a few moments later, sounding very unlike her usual chipper self. "How was your day?"

"Better than yours," Mia replied, "From the sounds of it."

Penelope laughed. "Yeah, I can pretty much guarantee it was," she agreed. "Do you mind if Kevin and I take a raincheck for tonight? I'm just really not up to going out."

"That is exactly why I was calling," Mia told her, giving Spencer a thumbs up as she returned to the living room. "Spence is _very _cranky, so I'm getting him set up on the couch with some Doctor Who."

"Well aren't you just the perfect girlfriend?"

"I am _definitely_ the perfect girlfriend," Mia agreed, beaming at Spencer with a cheeky little wink. "Let's shoot for the weekend, yes?"

"Deal," Penelope said. "You two have a good night."

"You too! Tell Kev I said hi."

With that, Mia hung up, put her phone to silent, and set it on the coffee table before dropping back down beside Spencer. He instantly reached over and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her tightly. She sighed happily, resting her head on his shoulder, very seriously wishing for time to freeze so they could stay in each other's arms forever.

"Mia?"

Lifting her head slightly, Mia smiled at him. "Hmm?"

Spencer smiled softly and pressed a kiss to her lips. "I love you."

* * *

"I could get used to this, you know."

Spencer glanced at Mia with a small smile. "Yeah?"

"Oh, definitely," she nodded, swinging their clasped hands back and forth happily as they walked. "I like seeing you for dinner every night."

Spencer said nothing as they walked slowly through the park, the setting sun casting a warm pink glow on the surrounding trees. Strauss had been conducting an inquiry for three days now, so the team had been stuck on desk duty most of the week. While they all hated desk duty with a fiery passion, there was a definite silver lining to be found in falling asleep with Mia in his arms every night.

"I could ask for a transfer," he said suddenly, surprising even himself. "Something that wouldn't involve travel. I could be around for dinner all the time."

Mia glanced at him briefly. "Don't be silly."

"I'm not joking," Spencer told her, pulling her to a stop and turning to face her. "I could do it. Tomorrow. I could talk to Hotch."

"You would do that?" Mia asked him quietly. "For me?"

Spencer nodded. "I would do anything for you."

Mia looked away and was quiet for a few moments, chewing her lower lip thoughtfully. Spencer reached over to brush a stray curl from her pretty blue eyes, waiting patiently for her thoughts on his proposal. Finally she took a deep breath and gazed up at him, a soft little smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"No."

Spencer frowned. "No?"

"No," she repeated firmly. "I couldn't ask you to do that."

"You didn't ask, Mia," Spencer reminded her. "I offered. It was my idea."

"You might have been the one to say it aloud," Mia agreed, "But I've been thinking about it for a while. I just couldn't think of a way to bring it up."

"So you do want me to do it."

"I thought I did," she nodded slowly, looking away again. "But I don't. Not really. It wouldn't be fair to ask you to give up something you love."

Spencer put a hand beneath her chin and tipped her face up to meet his gaze. "I love _you_, Mia," he told her. "My job is just my job."

"I know you love me," Mia smiled, "But your job is not _just _your job. It's a big part of your life. The team is your family, and they've become mine, too. I don't want you to walk away from that just because I like being able to go out for dinner whenever we want."

"The team would still be around," Spencer argued. "We'd still see them. And we'd see each other. A lot."

Mia stood on tiptoe to kiss him gently. "I love you," she said quietly, "And I would _love _to not have to worry so much, believe me. But you are a profiler. You belong in the BAU. We both know it. You're good at what you do, and though it's hard sometimes, you love it. Besides, the team needs you. You're the resident genius, remember?"

Spencer smiled weakly. "I just hate knowing how much it bothers you when we're away."

"As wonderful as it would be to not have to worry about you," Mia smiled, "I would still worry about Aaron. And Dave. And everyone. At least with you there I know they've got a fighting chance."

Spencer chuckled before pulling Mia into a long, deep kiss. They took their time getting back to her apartment, enjoying the warm evening and each other's company. When they were curled up in bed much later, Spencer looked up from his book to find Mia had fallen asleep next to him, still sitting upright against the pillows she'd piled up. Her book lay open in her lap, the glasses she was wearing in place of contacts sitting lopsided on her cute little nose. Smiling, Spencer took the book and glasses, careful not to disturb her, and set them atop the bedside table. As he moved some of the pillows and laid her down gently, her eyes fluttered open and she murmured something incoherent.

"Sorry," he breathed, planting a kiss on her forehead, "Go back to sleep."

Mia smiled up at him for a moment before her eyes drifted shut and she was fast asleep. Spencer sighed, unable to wipe the smile from his face as he gazed down at her. God, she was perfect. The most perfect human being on the planet, and she was with him. Spencer still hadn't quite figured out what he'd done to deserve her, but he was grateful he'd done it. Though it hadn't even been a year, he couldn't really remember life before Mia. All he knew was that life _with _Mia was about a million times better, and he'd do anything he could to ensure that would never change.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Love you all! **

* * *

_Chapter Nine_

"So that's it then?"

"I guess so, yeah."

"All that for nothing?"

"Anderson's got a lot of paperwork to file, so that's something."

Anderson turned from pouring himself a cup of coffee and grimaced. "Yeah, that's something alright."

Rossi, Morgan, and Prentiss laughed. "Someday Strauss will loosen her reins," Rossi assured him. "Maybe."

Anderson rolled his eyes with a small smile before grabbing his coffee and ducking out of the break room. Spencer watched him go before glancing at his friends. "Guess that means we'll be getting a new case. Where do you think we'll go?"

"I'm so sick of the heat," Prentiss complained, "So I hope it's the coast somewhere. I could do with some rain."

"It has been a pretty rough dry spell," Rossi agreed. "My tomato plants are not happy."

Beside him, Morgan frowned. "You grow your own tomatoes?"

"How else am I supposed to make sure my marinara is top notch?"

"So _that's _your secret!" Prentiss exclaimed excitedly. "Hah. I knew I'd get it out of you soon enough."

Rossi gave her a look. "You will _never_ know my secret."

Everyone laughed at his melodramatic tone, but before anyone could say anymore Garcia appeared in the doorway, a pained expression on her face. Spencer sighed, knowing what was coming. They'd made it almost an entire week on desk duty, and he was really enjoying his time with Mia. He'd been desperately hoping for a quiet weekend with her, but had shown up at the office that morning to discover that Strauss had finally given up her inquiry and cleared the team to return to the field. He hadn't had the heart to tell Mia yet.

"Baby girl?" Morgan set his coffee down and moved to put an arm around Garcia, his brow furrowed in concern. "What's up?"

"I just hate people sometimes," Garcia sighed, resting her blonde head on his shoulder for a moment. "Round table in five, lovelies. It's a gruesome one, so gird your loins."

With that, she spun on her shiny red heels and hurried off towards the conference room. Exchanging worried glances, Prentiss and Morgan followed her from the room. Rossi downed the rest of his coffee and deposited his mug into the sink before moving to follow the others. Spencer sighed, pushed back from the table, grabbed his bag, and headed for the round table.

"Over the past six months," Garcia began as the team took their seats, "The mutilated bodies of four women have been found in and around the DC area. Local PD didn't connect the dots until the latest body was discovered."

"Each woman was disposed of differently," Morgan commented, going through the crime scene photos on his tablet. "One in a river, two in back alleys, and one in the woods. Obviously whatever reason he has for killing has nothing to do with disposal."

"There doesn't seem to be a pattern in how long he keeps them, either," Rossi added as he scanned the file on his own tablet. "It's all very random. Victim number one was missing for three weeks when her body was discovered, and she'd been dead less than twenty four hours. Victim two was only missing a week and a half. Victims three and four were missing two weeks and five weeks respectively."

Prentiss groaned. "What is he doing with them during that time?"

"Everything and anything he can think of, apparently" Morgan replied with a grimace. Beside him, JJ set her tablet aside with a look of pained disgust.

"Each woman showed signs of repeated sexual assault," Hotch nodded. "They were all tortured extensively, and their bodies mutilated post mortem. The next victim is reported missing within one week of a body being discovered, so by the time he kills he has already decided on his next target. The latest body was found an hour ago, so we have seven days to catch the guy." He took a deep breath, glancing at Spencer briefly before continuing. "As you can all see, he has a very specific type."

Spencer barely heard him, or the murmurs of agreement throughout the room. He was gazing at side-by-side photos of each of the four victims, his mouth dry, his heart in his throat. All four women were undeniably beautiful, smiling at the camera brightly, seemingly without a care in the world. Save for minor characteristics—a pair of glasses on one, a light dusting of freckles on another—each was almost identical with long dark hair tumbling about their shoulders in messy curls, and clear blue eyes glittering happily. Spencer blinked several times, willing the photos to change, filling with dread when they stayed the same. All he could see was Mia.

"Morgan and Prentiss, I want you to speak to the victims' families," Hotch was saying when Spencer managed to tune back in. "JJ, you and I will go to the latest crime scene and meet with the lead detective on the case. Rossi, you and Reid go meet with the M.E., see what you can find out. Garcia, dig up anything you can on each of the victims. Find out what ties them together other than the obvious."

Everyone nodded and stood, filing out of the room in silence. Spencer followed slowly, his mind a foggy mess. Hotch put a hand on his shoulder as he reached the door, stopping him, and waited for the rest of the team to be out of earshot before speaking.

"Reid," he said quietly, "I see it too."

Spencer glanced up at him. "See what?"

"Mia," Hotch replied simply. "I see her in every single one of the victims."

Spencer sighed. "I can't not see her. I tried, but I couldn't do it."

"I know. I didn't tell Strauss or the others, but the main reason I pushed to have this case is his taste in women. I need to personally put this psychopath away for good."

"You don't think he'd go after her, do you?"

Hotch shrugged half-heartedly. "Seems unlikely," he admitted. "There are several women in the D.C. area with brown hair and blue eyes. But I'd rather not give him a chance."

Spencer nodded. "Should we tell her?"

"I don't think so. Not yet, at least," Hotch said slowly. "We don't want her to panic for nothing. We just need to get this guy before he can set his sights on her."

"Right."

"I know it's going to be difficult, but we can't let our emotions get in the way on this one. For Mia's sake, and for the sake of whatever woman he _is _targeting next, we need to focus."

"I know."

Hotch gave Spencer's shoulder a reassuring pat. "We'll catch him, Reid," he assured him. "In the meantime, we'll just keep a close eye on Mia."

Spencer sighed. "I don't know if I'll be able to concentrate on anything else."

"Give her a call," Hotch suggested. "Make sure she's alright, and then get to work."

With a slight nod, Spencer left the room, digging his phone out of his bag as he went. He had Mia's number dialed before he reached the steps that led into the bullpen. After quickly letting Rossi know that he'd just be a minute, he ducked into the corridor and found a quiet corner to wait for her to answer.

"Hey," she said after three rings, a smile in her voice. "I was hoping it'd be you."

Spencer smiled despite himself. "How are things at the shop?"

"Pretty good," Mia replied, "Nice and quiet. How's your day been?"

"Uh, alright," Spencer said slowly. "I…we just got a case, though."

Mia was quiet a moment, and Spencer briefly wondered if she'd hung up on him. "I thought you were all on desk duty until the inquiry was finished."

"We were cleared this morning," Spencer sighed. "I'm sorry…looks like I'll be working this weekend. This one's pretty bad."

"Aren't they all?"

"Yeah," he chuckled humorlessly. "If it helps, though, this one is local."

"Local? Should I be worried?"

Spencer hesitated briefly, wondering if he should tell her about the alarming similarities between her and the victims. If, by chance, the unsub had set his sights on her already, warning her could very well save her life. On the other hand, there was a very slim chance that she was being targeted out of the hundreds of other dark haired women in DC, and warning her would simply cause her undue panic. Knowing that he and Hotch were panicking enough without her joining them, he decided he'd just do as Hotch had suggested and keep a close eye on her.

"No, I don't think so," he said finally. "Everything will be fine."

"Are there bombs involved?"

Spencer chuckled. "No bombs this time, no."

"Good. Call me later, okay?"

"I will," he nodded. "I love you."

"Love you too, Spence."

Sighing, Spencer hung up and leaned back against the cool brick wall. While the logical side of him knew the chances of Mia being targeted were slim, there was a nagging voice at the back of his mind telling him to drop everything and go to her, to take her in his arms and not let go until he knew she would be safe. He was absolutely certain that he wouldn't be able to survive without her, and the mere thought of a serial killer with a taste for pretty dark haired women like Mia terrified him to his very core.

"Reid?"

Glancing up, Spencer found Rossi eyeing him worriedly. "Sorry," he muttered, "Got distracted."

Rossi nodded. "We all saw the similarities too," he said quietly. "You're not alone in this, you know."

"I know."

For a moment Rossi gazed at him silently, his brow furrowed. "Let's go, kid," he said, motioning towards the door. "We'll catch him, don't worry."

Spencer grimaced. "Easier said than done."

* * *

"Crueller or croissant?"

Mia glanced up at Alice with a smile. "Croissant," she said, taking the pastry and a cup of coffee from her friend. "Thanks a million."

Alice shrugged it off. "Mid-afternoon pick me up is a _must_," she said, plunking herself down into one of the armchairs opposite Mia's desk. "How goes the paper work?"

"Buckets of fun, as always," Mia replied with a smirk. "How goes keeping an eye on things up front?"

"Incredibly boring," Alice said, her mouth full of crueller. "Wanna trade?"

"If I thought for a minute you'd rather do my paperwork," Mia laughed, "I would trade in a second."

Alice popped the last of her crueller into her mouth and climbed to her feet. "Yeah, definitely not happening," she said. "Have fun!"

Mia watched her go, shaking her head with a smile, before turning back to the task at hand. It had been a mere three hours since hearing from Spencer and learning that the team was chasing a new madman, and she was dealing surprisingly well with the news. Where normally by now she'd be at home in her sweats, her eyes glued to the evening news, she was still at work, fully focused on organizing the monthly books. While she was inarguably worried about Spencer, Aaron, and the rest of the team, she felt much more confident than she ever had in the past. She idly wondered if maybe she was growing up.

Despite her newfound strength, though, when her phone rang ten minutes later and Aaron's number flashed across the screen, an immediate wave of nausea washed over her. Setting her pen down and pushing the stack of papers aside, she took a shaky breath. She let it ring three times before reaching for the phone uncertainly.

"Aaron," she answered slowly, "What's up?"

"I need a favor," her brother said briskly. "Jessica just called, and she's come down with the flu. Would you mind getting Jack from day camp in a half hour?"

"Of course not," Mia replied, instantly relieved. "Should I stop by your place and pick up some overnight stuff for him, or will you be picking him up later?"

"I'm not sure how late we'll be tonight," Aaron told her, "So maybe grab some stuff just in case. You still have your key, right?"

Mia nodded, then realized he couldn't see her and smiled. "Yeah, I do. Don't worry about Jack, I'll keep him until you guys are finished."

"Thanks," Aaron sighed. He was quiet for a few moments, during which time Mia gathered up her things and slung her handbag over her shoulder. "How you holding up? Everything okay?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. "How are you? How's the case going?"

"As good as can be expected, I suppose," Aaron answered evasively. "I'll call Jack's day camp and let them know you'll be picking him up. We'll talk later, okay?"

"Sounds good. Love you!"

"Love you too, Little One."

Mia dropped her phone back into her bag and headed out into the front of the shop. "Ali," she called, "I'm outta here. Gotta go pick up Jack for Aaron!"

"Give that kid a kiss for me!"

Mia promised she would, waved, and hurried out into the street. She'd barely made it ten steps when she ran head on into someone much larger than her, and stumbled backwards. Her bag fell to the ground with a small thump, and she would have followed had the victim of her clumsiness not reached out to catch her.

"Oh goodness," she laughed, stooping to pick up her bag, "I'm _so _sorry. I really should pay closer attention."

"Mia?"

Mia stopped mid apology and looked up in surprise. The man she'd run into smiled back at her, his dark eyes twinkling in the sunlight. He was of average height—though seemed tall compared to Mia's small stature—and was relatively handsome. His dark hair was combed neatly, his face cleanly shaven. He wore a pair of jeans and a grey t-shirt, through which Mia could see his well-defined muscles.

"Um, yeah," she said slowly, "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

"It's Paul!" The man grinned at her jovially. "From the airport, remember?"

Suddenly Mia remembered the kind customs agent she'd dealt with, and returned his smile. "Paul, of course," she said, "I didn't recognise you out of uniform! How are you?"

"I'm good," Paul nodded happily. "I figured I'd pop in today and see about that Browning volume I'm searching for."

"Well, unfortunately I am in a bit of a hurry," Mia said apologetically. "My brother's working late, so I have to run and pick my nephew up. But if you go inside you'll find Alice at the counter. Let her know I sent you and she'll be more than happy to help you. We have an entire section of Browning upstairs."

"Great," Paul smiled and moved towards the shop, "Thanks, Mia. I'll see you around."

Mia smiled before turning and continuing on her way. She felt a small twinge of guilt at not being the one to help Paul out after she'd promised to do so on their first meeting, but she was sure Alice would take good care of him. The thought of spending the evening with her favourite little boy quickly pushed the thought of Paul from her mind, though, and she quickly forgot about the man. As she made her way to the subway station on the corner, she pulled out her phone and dialled Sean's number. With Aaron and Spencer both busy, she figured a quick trip to New York might be fun.

* * *

**A/N: Review review review aaand there might be a new chapter tomorrow morning ;) **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: As always, I love each and every one of you! :) **

_Chapter Ten_

Spencer awoke with a start, sitting upright and gazing around his darkened bedroom in a confused daze. For a moment he groped around in the darkness, searching for Mia, before remembering he'd chosen to sleep at his own apartment so as to not disturb her when he got home in the middle of the night. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, wondering what had woken him, and jumped when a simultaneous flash of lightening and clap of thunder answered his question. Groaning, he turned and reached for his phone to check the time. Four thirty in the morning. He hadn't even had four hours of sleep, and was expected back at the bureau in an hour. After briefly debating the pros and cons of trying to grab another half hour of sleep, he climbed to his feet and made his way to the bathroom for a hot shower.

Forty five minutes later, Spencer was behind the wheel of his Volvo, nursing the very sweet cup of coffee he'd picked up on his way. He was about ten minutes away from Quantico, but the raging thunderstorm would likely make it a much longer stretch. The wind howled dangerously and rain pounded his windshield relentlessly while the dark sky lit up every few seconds with forks of blue, yellow, and pink lightning. According to the weather forecast he'd listened to while getting dressed, the rain was supposed to last for the remainder of the day and stretch into the night. It would be the perfect day to sit by the fire, Mia at his side, both preoccupied with books. Instead, he would be chasing a killer with a preference for women identical to the one he loved.

Spencer was minutes away from the bureau when his phone rang. He quickly set his coffee into the cup holder and grabbed his phone from the passenger seat. After glancing at the caller ID, he put it to his ear.

"Hotch?"

"Reid," Hotch said quickly, "We've got another body."

"What? Already?"

"Apparently. Rossi is already on his way. Meet him there."

After getting the address, Spencer hung up, tossed his phone back towards the passenger seat, and pulled a quick u-turn. Heedless of the rain slicked roads he pushed his foot to the floor, speeding down the highway, his heart thumping painfully in his chest. It hadn't even been more than twenty four hours since the last body was found, and they already had a new one. Something wasn't quite right, and it filled Spencer with dread.

In spite of the storm and early morning traffic, Spencer made it to the new crime scene in a matter of twelve and a half minutes. Leaving his keys in the ignition, he jumped out of the car, slammed the door, and trudged down the muddy path towards the crowd of police officers. The forensic team stood nearby looking disgruntled. The rain had undoubtedly washed away any real evidence before they'd shown up.

"Reid!" Rossi appeared at the yellow police tape. Something about his expression made Spencer feel sick. "Stop. Hold on a second. We need to talk."

"Why?" Spencer asked, lifting the tape and ducking underneath it. "Where's the body?"

"Just past that tree," Rossi replied, motioning behind him vaguely. "You need to just…wait."

Spencer frowned, pushing his wet hair from his face. "Wait? For what?"

Rossi sighed, putting a hand on Spencer's shoulder. His dark eyes glinted with an emotion Spencer didn't recognize right away, and he waited for the man to speak, his frown deepening. When Rossi let out a shaky breath Spencer realized the wetness on his face wasn't simply due to the rain, and suddenly he understood. The sound of the surrounding police officers shouting over the raging storm faded away, and Spencer felt himself go weak. Ignoring whatever words were coming out of Rossi's mouth, he pulled away and stumbled forwards, in the direction of the drenched white sheet lying near a massive oak tree.

"Reid," Rossi called out, "Don't—"

Spencer dropped to his knees beside the sheet, indifferent to the cold mud that soaked through his pants almost immediately. With a very shaky hand he reached forwards, slowly pulling the sheet back to reveal the body underneath. Her normally gleaming curls were a mess of mud, leaves, and twigs, and someone had closed her blue eyes, but there was no mistaking the woman he loved.

Spencer was vaguely aware of his own strangled cries, but he couldn't seem to stop. Completely disregarding any pretense of maintaining what was left of the crime scene, he scooped Mia's lifeless body into his arms, burying his face in her mess of muddy curls. He rocked her back and forth, begging her to wake up, reminding her that he loved her and couldn't live without her. It was, of course, entirely futile.

Spencer's reason to live was gone.

Mia Hale was dead.

* * *

Mia opened her eyes, frowning up at the ceiling, not entirely sure what was happening, why she was awake. Outside her bedroom window Mother Nature seemed to be having a bit of a meltdown, but normally she slept right through thunderstorms. When the door to her apartment crashed open, she stifled a scream and jumped out of bed, searching frantically for some sort of defensive weapon. She'd decided on the lamp beside her bed and was in the midst of unplugging it from the wall when Spencer called out.

"Mia?!"

Mia spun around in time to see him appear in the doorway and stop, staring at her from across the dark bedroom. She stood motionless for a moment, giving her heart time to calm down, before setting the lamp back atop the bedside table and clicking it on. When her eyes adjusted to the sudden light, she gazed at Spencer in surprise. He looked as if he'd just swam from his apartment to hers. His hair was plastered to his forehead, his clothes clinging to his body in a way that would have been attractive under different circumstances.

"Spence," she said tentatively, "What's going on?"

Spencer didn't answer. He continued to stare at her, breathing heavily.

"Spencer," she said, moving towards him, "You're soaking wet. It's two thirty in the morning. What's going on?"

"You were—" he gasped, and Mia noticed that he was trembling. "I thought…I just…I couldn't…"

There was no mistaking the absolute terror in Spencer's eyes. Mia frowned as she reached him, still not quite understanding the situation. "What happened, Spencer?"

He shakily brought a hand up to her face, the distress on his face breaking Mia's heart. He held his hand there a moment, his eyes locked with hers, his frantic breathing slowly calming. Suddenly realizing what was happening, Mia raised her hand to twine her fingers with his and stood on tiptoe to kiss him gently.

"It was just a dream," she whispered against his lips, "I'm okay."

Spencer relaxed immediately, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. Mia said nothing, simply returning the embrace, resting her face against his very wet chest. For several minutes they stood in the doorway, their arms around each other, neither saying a word. It took a while, but Spencer's racing heartbeat slowed to a much more regular, soothing speed, and Mia felt herself drifting off in his arms.

"I'm sorry for waking you," he said finally, his voice heavy with emotion. He slowly let go of her and took a small step back. "I just had to see you. I had to be sure. I'll call you in the morning."

He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before turning and making his way back through the quiet apartment. Mia blinked in confusion, not entirely sure how to react to his sudden departure. When she heard the front door she came to her senses and broke into a run, calling his name as she went.

"Where are you going?" She demanded as she reached the entranceway.

Spencer stood with his hand on the doorknob. "Uh, back home."

"Don't be ridiculous," she scoffed, tugging him away from the door and kicking it shut. "You're staying here."

"I have to be back at the bureau early," Spencer argued lamely as she relocked the door.

"I have an alarm clock," Mia reminded him, taking his hand in hers. "You'll sleep better here, and you know it."

Spencer wordlessly followed her back into the bedroom, and Mia grabbed him a towel while he stripped out of his wet clothing. She handed him a pair of his pyjama bottoms and toweled his hair while he pulled them on. When he was relatively dry, Mia tossed the towel aside aimlessly and got into bed, Spencer close behind.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked softly, snuggling close to him beneath the covers.

"No," he replied quietly. "Being here with you is all I need."

* * *

Mia awoke the following morning to an empty bed. She lay there a moment, hurt that Spencer had left for work without saying goodbye, but smiled when she heard him crashing around in the kitchen—a sure sign that he was making coffee. After a long, languid stretch, Mia got out of bed, pulled on her fluffy robe, and padded out towards the kitchen. As she'd expected she found Spencer leaning against the counter, his eyes on the clock opposite him, timing the French press carefully.

"Sorry," he said, smiling weakly at her, "I tried to be quiet."

Mia shook her head as she took a seat at the small round table. "Don't apologise," she told him. "I'm glad you didn't leave without saying goodbye."

Spencer moved to kiss her. "I wouldn't do that," he assured her. "Do you want a cup?"

"Not right now," she answered, watching him return to the task at hand. "I think I'll go back to sleep for a bit after you leave."

After pouring himself a cup of coffee and adding the appropriate amount of cream and sugar, Spencer joined her at the table. "I'm sorry about last night."

Mia reached out and slipped her hand in his. "You don't have to be sorry," she said. "I'm sorry you thought I was—"

"Don't say it," Spencer interrupted. "I just…don't."

Mia smiled softly, and was quiet while he took his first few sips of coffee. "Are you going to tell me what caused it?"

"The dream?"

She nodded.

"I…I dream about you all the time," he admitted, avoiding her gaze. "Nightmares, I mean. You're always a victim in our latest case. It happens almost every night."

"Why have you never mentioned them before?"

Spencer shrugged. "Usually I'm able to convince myself they're just dreams."

"What was different about last night?"

Spencer took a deep gulp of coffee and grimaced as it burned his mouth. "No reason."

Mia narrowed her eyes at him. "You're lying."

Spencer looked ready to disagree, but sighed instead. "I'd really rather not say."

"Tell me, Spencer."

"You, uh…" he started slowly, "You look a lot like the victims in the case we got yesterday…"

Mia's eyes widened. "In what way?"

"In every way," Spencer replied. "You're identical to them."

Sitting back in her hair, Mia crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath, processing the information she'd just been given. Identical. She was _identical_ to the women who were, presumably, being killed by some lunatic. Suddenly Spencer's reaction to a nightmare made sense. It hadn't just seemed real, it legitimately could have happened. She could be next.

"Mia?"

Giving her head a little shake, Mia glanced at Spencer. "Am I in danger?"

"I don't think so," Spencer replied. "It's just…an unfortunate coincidence."

Mia nodded and got to her feet. "I have something for you."

"Uh," Spencer frowned, surprised at the sudden change in subject, "Okay…"

Finding her handbag by the door, Mia carried it back into the kitchen and returned to her seat. Flashing an excited smile at a very confused Spencer, she dug through the bag for a small box she'd hidden there the day before.

"I planned on wrapping it and giving it to you at some sort of romantic dinner," Mia told him as her fingers closed around the gift, "But I think we need it now."

Spencer took the small square box she handed him. "What is it?"

"Open it," Mia urged with a smile.

Brow furrowed, Spencer obligingly removed the lid and a fluff of cotton from the box, revealing a shiny blue key. He picked it up, examining it closely, before giving Mia a questioning look. "It's a key."

"A blue key," Mia nodded. "TARDIS blue, to be exact."

"What's it for?"

"My apartment."

Spencer chuckled. "I already have a key to your apartment."

"Yeah," she agreed, "But this one's special."

"Because it's blue?"

Mia laughed. "Because I was hoping it could be a key to _our _apartment."

Spencer's eyes widened as he glanced back down at the key in his hand. "Are you...are you saying you want to live together? You're asking me to move in?"

"Yes," Mia said, smiling nervously. "To living together, I mean. We can live here, or at your place, or find a new place of our own. I mean, it makes sense, doesn't it? When you're in town you spend ninety percent of your time here anyway, and I absolutely hate the other ten percent of the time. If it's too soon, or you don't want to—"

Spencer leaned forwards and kissed her, cutting her off midsentence. Mia smiled, clinging to the front of his shirt, relief washing over her. After a few seconds Spencer got to his feet, pulling Mia up with him, and wrapped his arms around her tightly, deepening the kiss. It was several moments before they broke apart, both breathing rather raggedly.

Mia smiled up at him. "I take that as a yes?"

"Of course," Spencer grinned, all trace of the case related stress gone from his face. "God, I love you, Mia Hale."

* * *

**A/N: I'm going away for the weekend, so hopefully this nice, long, (relatively) happy chapter will hold you over until I get home! Review lots and you'll have a new one Monday morning! :) **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: If I could give you all big apology hugs, I would. Life has been craaazy lately and I just haven't had much time to write :( Two chapters today to make up for it. And hopefully two more later this week/early next. Please forgive me, friends! 3 **

_Chapter Eleven_

"Ali! I have news!"

"Oh my goodness! You're pregnant?!"

Mia gawked at her friend, putting a hand to her flat stomach self-consciously. "Do I _look _pregnant?!"

"Not even a little bit," Alice replied with a smile, "But I wouldn't mind a niece or nephew to dress up and spoil, so maybe you and Spencer could get on that."

"Babies are definitely a long way away," Mia laughed. "We're moving in together, though, so that's a step in the right direction I guess!"

Alice jumped to her feet excitedly, sloshing coffee—thankfully iced—all down her front. She glanced down at the brown stain on her blue blouse, frowned for a moment, and then resumed her celebrating, hurrying around the corner and wrapping Mia in a big, coffee scented hug. Mia laughed and returned her friend's embrace, pleased that the girl who had become her closest friend so clearly approved of her major life decision. There wasn't a single part of Mia who believed she was making the wrong choice, but a small nagging voice in the back of her mind said her brothers would have something to say about it.

"This is so great!" Alice exclaimed, stepping back from Mia and beaming at her. "When did you decide this?"

"This morning," Mia said with a smile of her own. "He spent the night, and I asked him early this morning before he went to work."

"_You _asked _him_?!"

"Yes," she replied, grabbing the stack of mail from the counter and heading for her office, "Why is that so surprising?"

"You have issues with commitment, in case you'd forgotten," Alice said, snatching what was left of her iced coffee and hurrying after Mia. "I figured when the time came he would ask and you would freak out for a bit before finally saying yes!"

Mia dropped her bag and took a seat behind her desk, shuffling through the mail to make sure there was nothing of great importance before looking up at Alice. "I kinda thought so, too," she admitted. "But I've realized that home just isn't really home anymore without him there."

Alice feigned a disgusted look. "Sickeningly sweet, seriously," she grimaced. "It's like a Nicholas Sparks book."

"I hope not," Mia laughed. "Nicholas Sparks' books tend to have a lot of heartbreak."

"True," Alice agreed, sipping her drink thoughtfully. "So when's the big move?"

"When they're done with the case they're working on," Mia told her. "We need to go through all of our stuff and figure out what we want to keep and what we don't need. But I think I'm going to sneak over to his place tonight and pack up his clothes and some of the smaller things so he can come home from work and feel like it's already home."

"Well aren't you just the girlfriend of the year!"

Mia smiled, but said nothing. The bell over the front door jingled, announcing their first customer of the morning. Alice got to her feet and moved towards the door, but remembered her stained shirt and looked back at Mia imploringly. Never one to be unprepared for a situation, Mia kept a spare change of clothes in the bottom drawer of her filing cabinet, just in case. Warning her not to spill coffee on this one, she tossed her friend a cream coloured silk blouse. Alice quickly changed into it before hurrying out into the front of the shop.

Only a few moments passed before there was a quiet knock at her door. Mia glanced up and found Aaron standing in the doorway, dressed in his typical dark suit, his hair neatly combed. Eyes wide, she glanced quickly at the time. Spencer had barely been at work four hours. What could have possibly happened in four hours?

"Reid's fine," he said quickly, noticing the look of terror in her eyes. "Don't panic."

Mia breathed a sigh of relief. "What's up?"

Before Aaron could reply, Sean pushed past his brother and grinned, opening his arms expectantly. Mia squealed excitedly and jumped up, running to hug the brother she saw far too rarely. He enveloped her in a tight embrace, lifting her from the ground briefly and pressing a big kiss to her forehead as he set her back down.

"What are you guys doing here?" Mia asked, smiling up at her brothers. She shot Aaron a look. "You're sure Spencer is okay?"

"He's working on a geographic profile as we speak," Aaron assured her. "We were hoping we could chat for a bit."

Mia waved them into the two armchairs she kept in her office and leaned back against her desk. "Is everything okay?"

Aaron nodded. "Reid told me he mentioned some details about our case."

"Ah," Mia sighed, tugging nervously at a ruffle on her dress. "Yeah, he did say something about that this morning."

"How are you dealing with things, Bug?"

Mia glanced at Sean. "Okay, I guess," she shrugged. "I mean, it's kind of…freaky. But it's not like I'm one of the victims or anything. I just happen to look like them."

"Right," Aaron nodded, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "I wasn't sure if we should tell you. I didn't want you to panic."

"I'm not panicking," Mia told him. "I'm not happy about it, but I'm definitely not panicking."

"Good. Now that you know, though, I was thinking we should take some…preliminary precautions."

Mia frowned at him. "Such as?"

"Well," Aaron started slowly, glancing briefly at Sean, "While I'm confident that you're not in in any real danger, I would like you to be able to protect yourself if you ever need to. I want you to learn how to use a gun and take some hand to hand combat lessons."

"Absolutely not," Mia said instantly, crossing her arms over her chest. "You know how I feel about guns."

"I know you…_disagree_ with them," Aaron conceded, "But I've been thinking about it for a while—since long before this case—and I know there's nothing I can do to keep you from being involved with the BAU and our cases. I would feel a lot better about it if I knew you were able to protect yourself."

"So I'll take your hand to hand combat lessons," Mia shrugged, "But I am _not _about to start carrying around a gun. I'm not doing it, Aaron."

"Mia, I'm not saying you have to use it," her eldest brother argued. "I just think you should have the option should it come to that."

"I won't use it," Mia assured him. "I don't need to carry one around because even if it _does _come to that, I will _not _use it."

Aaron scrubbed a hand over his face tiredly. "What if someone is holding a gun to your head?"

"Then he's likely disarmed me already, so my owning a gun really wouldn't make much of a difference, would it?"

Sean chuckled quietly, causing Aaron to shoot him a dirty look. "You're not helping."

"I said I would only help if she agreed to it," Sean grinned, hands raised defensively. "I also said she wouldn't agree to it."

Aaron rolled his eyes. "Mia, you have to—"

"No, Aaron, I don't," Mia said, cutting him off. "Guns are dangerous, and scary, and far too many of them end up in the wrong hands. The world would be better off without them. I don't care if someone has a gun to my head, I am _not _going to shoot them. I get your need to protect me, and I love you for it, but you can't make me use a gun. It's not happening."

"There's no way to convince you otherwise?"

Mia shook her head. "Nope."

Aaron sighed. "But you'll agree to some self defense training?"

"As long as there are no firearms involved, yes," she nodded. "Who's going to teach me? You?"

Aaron smiled wryly. "I feel like that wouldn't go so well."

Knowing they would end up in a screaming match of some sort, Mia nodded. "So what's the plan?"

"I thought the team could help out," Aaron said. "After a few lessons with Morgan and JJ you'll be able to take down a guy three times your size."

"Sounds fun," Mia smiled. "What's Sean's role in this?"

"He was going to take you to the firing range," Aaron explained. "I'm thinking now, though, he'll be our fake unsub. You can practice whatever moves you learn on him."

Sean's eyes grew wide. "You want me to be her punching bag?!"

Mia grinned wickedly and crossed the room to kiss both brothers on the cheek. "This is going to be _very_ fun!"

* * *

Sticking her keys between her teeth, Mia picked up the two big cardboard boxes, balancing them carefully in one arm, and grabbed the oversized wheelie suitcase with the other hand before kicking the door open. She struggled into the apartment and dropped everything just over the threshold, shutting the door behind her and leaning against it tiredly. She'd spent the entire afternoon at Spencer's apartment, emptying out his closet and packing his clothes into the suitcase and one of the boxes, and then going around and picking up random knickknacks and books to pack in the second box. Just as she was straightening, ready to work at unpacking everything, Spencer emerged from the kitchen and hurried down the hallway towards her.

"I didn't think you'd be home yet," Mia said, moving to kiss him. "Why are you so early?"

"Hotch sent us to get some rest," Spencer replied, glancing at the boxes she'd deposited on the floor. "What's all this?"

Mia smiled sheepishly. "I was going to surprise you," she told him. "I was hoping I'd have everything unpacked before you got home."

"What is it? Where were you?"

"It's a bunch of stuff from your apartment," Mia said excitedly. "Your clothes and some little things I could pack up on my own. I know we're not going through everything until you've finished with the case, but I thought maybe I could bring some stuff over and make it feel a little bit more like home for you."

Spencer smiled and pressed another kiss to her lips. "That was very sweet of you."

Mia shrugged it off with a smile. "I'm starving," she said, brushing past him and heading for the kitchen. "Let's eat before we try to find room for your clothes in the bedroom."

Spencer followed quietly and obligingly helped her prepare a simple stir fry. While Mia chattered on happily, he replied simply with nods or murmurs of assent. They made it to the dinner table with steaming plates of food before Mia noticed anything was amiss. When she made a clever Star Wars reference and he didn't react, simply staring at his dinner, his brow furrowed, Mia frowned.

"What's up, Spence?"

"Nothing," he said quickly, glancing up at her. "I'm fine."

Mia set her fork down and narrowed her eyes. "No you're not. You're upset."

Spencer shook his head, avoiding her gaze. "I'm fine, Mia."

"Are you upset with _me_?"

"Uh," Spencer hesitated a moment, "No. I mean…don't worry about it. I'll get over it."

Mia's frown deepened. "What did I do?"

"Nothing," Spencer told her, reaching across the table and laying a hand over hers, "It's okay. I'm being stupid. Please don't worry about it."

"Spencer, tell me," Mia urged, lacing her fingers with his. "What's wrong?"

"I just…" Spencer started uncertainly, "I don't like that you went to my apartment tonight on your own."

Mia's mouth fell open slightly in surprise. "What do you…what?"

Spencer sighed, running his free hand through his hair. "I know it's stupid."

"Spencer," Mia said slowly, "I don't understand. I thought you would be happy to have some of your stuff here. Or are you having second thoughts about moving in? Because—"

"No, Mia!" Spencer interrupted her hurriedly. "I am definitely _not _having second thoughts. I _love _that you moved my stuff here."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The fact that you went alone," Spencer answered. "I mean, how did you get there? The subway, I'm assuming?"

"Uh, yeah. I took the subway there, and then a cab back," Mia explained. "What's the big deal?"

"Mia, we're dealing with a serial killer who has a preference for women that look identical to you, and we have no idea how he's finding them or luring them or anything. For all we know he could be prowling the subways until he stumbles upon someone who fits the profile."

"Spence, I'm fine," Mia said softly. "You don't have to worry about me."

"But I _do _worry about you," Spencer argued urgently. "I worry about you all the time, Mia. And with our current case I can barely focus on anything _but _you."

Mia took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Mia, I—" Spencer paused, giving her a curious look. "What?"

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I know how much this case is stressing you out. I know you worry about me. I shouldn't be making things worse."

Spencer smiled weakly. "Thanks for understanding."

Mia nodded. "I promise to be more careful until you're finished the case."

"Or you could just always be careful," Spencer chuckled. "You know, so I don't have to worry _ever_."

"Let's not go overboard. We both know you'll worry no matter what."

Spencer grinned. "You know why that is, right?"

Mia shrugged innocently, batting her eyelashes at him. "Why?"

Spencer stood and leaned across the table to kiss her gently. "Because I just love you so much."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Aaand two chapters today. Enjoy :) **

_Chapter Twelve_

With a sleepy groan, Spencer hit the snooze button on his alarm clock, quieting its incessant beeping, before rolling onto his side and blindly reaching for Mia. When his hand grasped nothing but the cool, silky sheets of her bed, his eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly, suddenly wide awake. Fighting to let his logical side win over his rising panic he gazed around the room, taking note of Mia's workout clothes still folded neatly on the chair, meaning she hadn't gone for her morning run. He was in the midst of jumping out of bed to search for her in the quiet apartment when she appeared in the doorway, two steaming cups of coffee in hand, wearing only one of his button down tops—his favourite outfit on her.

"Good morning, sleepy head," she smiled, handing him a coffee, setting hers down, and crawling across the bed to curl up next to him. "Sleep well?"

Spencer leaned over and kissed her. "I don't think I've ever slept better."

For a few moments they sat in a comfortable silence, sipping their coffees, watching the room slowly fill with sunlight. Though he'd woken up next to her several times in the past, Spencer felt a new sense blissful peace at waking up in the apartment they'd agreed to live in together. He suddenly found himself imagining a future full of Sunday mornings spent in bed, sipping coffee and doing the New York Times crossword puzzle while a couple of curly haired children who looked just like their mother played with their toys nearby. Never before had Spencer imagined having children of his own. He'd always figured having Henry in his life would be as close as he got, and that had always been perfectly fine with him. Now he couldn't wait to see a bunch of mini Mias running around.

Before he could stop himself, he glanced at Mia curiously. "Do you want kids?"

Mia's eyes widened, a smile flirting across her lips. "What?"

"Do you ever think about having kids?"

"I do," she replied simply, slipping her hand in his and twining their fingers together. "Before you, I had no plans to settle down or be in any sort of serious, long term relationship. But kids have always been part of the plan. I can't wait to be a mom someday."

Spencer smiled uncertainly. "Now that you are in a serious relationship…do you ever think of _us _having kids?"

"Spence," Mia smiled slowly, "Now that I'm in a serious relationship I can't imagine us _not _having kids."

"How many do you want?"

"I don't know. Two or three. Ten, maybe," she laughed softly. "What about you? Do you see us having kids?"

Spencer nodded. "I never realized I wanted them until I met you," he told her honestly. "I just…I guess I don't see myself as the fatherly type."

Mia leaned over and kissed him gently. "You will be an _amazing_ father."

"I don't know about amazing," Spencer chuckled. "Embarrassing, maybe. Incompetent, even."

Mia gave him a look that told him he was being silly, but before either could say anymore on the topic her phone vibrated loudly from the table beside her bed. Spencer reluctantly let go of her hand so she could reach for the phone, returning to his coffee, wondering if anyone would notice if he simply didn't show up for work today. Just as quickly as the thought appeared in his mind, though, the image of the victims so similar to the woman he loved chased it away. He needed to find the unsub and put him safely behind bars so he and Mia could focus on the future.

"So that was Aaron," Mia announced a few moments later, hanging up and setting her phone back down. "He wants me to come to Quantico this morning."

Spencer frowned. "What for?"

"Apparently it's time for my 'self defense training'," Mia shrugged. "He wants me there ASAP so we can get started."

Just over an hour later Spencer and Mia walked hand in hand into the FBI, heading for the stairs that led to the basement where they'd meet Hotch and Morgan for Mia's defensive training. As much as he would have enjoyed a bit more time with Mia in bed before heading to work, Spencer was definitely looking forward to knowing she would be able to protect herself if need be. Not to mention how much he enjoyed the skin tight yoga pants and tank top she'd worn for the occasion.

"Ah, there the lovebirds are," Rossi called as they entered the enormous gymnasium. "We were starting to wonder if you'd ever show."

Morgan grinned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Ready to be whipped into shape, Littlest Hotchner?"

Beside Spencer, Mia shrugged out of the sweater she'd worn and tossed it to the ground, smirking at Morgan. "Bring it on."

* * *

"Well, that went well."

"If by 'well' you mean 'was completely hilarious,' then yes, it was."

Mia gave Andy a dirty look. "You suck, Anderson."

"He's right, Bug," Sean laughed, standing next to Andy and grinning down at Mia. "That was laughable. You're gonna need to put some meat on those bones."

Groaning, Mia reached up and took her brother's outstretched hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. He chuckled as she leaned into him tiredly, exhausted from the morning's training session. Mia elbowed him weakly in the ribs, ignoring his snort of laughter.

"I didn't think it would be this hard," she admitted. "Maybe I _should _just learn how to use a gun."

"As if you'd ever even pick one up," Sean scoffed. "Besides. This will get easier. You'll figure it out. Soon you'll be able to kick anyone's ass."

"You will," Andy agreed. "JJ had no idea what she was doing at first, and you should see her in action now."

Mia rolled her eyes in disbelief, promised to meet Sean and Andy in the lobby in a while, and then headed for the showers. She had only worked out with Derek for an hour and a half, yet she was so far beyond exhausted it wasn't even funny. Derek had shown her a few basic moves, let her practice on Sean and Andy, and then quickly moved onto much more advanced, much more difficult maneuvers. Her entire body ached, her legs felt like jelly, and her arms were like limp noodles. Despite the fact that she ran every morning and was in excellent shape, this whole self defense thing was a lot more demanding than she'd imagined. She limped into the changing room and slowly stripped out of her sweaty workout clothes, wincing as her muscles screamed at her for moving. For nearly twenty minutes she stood beneath a flow of almost unbearably hot water, soothing her aching body, letting her muscles loosen and stretch and relax. When her skin started to prune up, Mia reluctantly stepped out of the shower, quickly dried, and pulled on a simple flowered dress and moved to fix her hair before the mirror. It was another ten minutes before she left the change room.

"We were about to send in a search party," Sean joked as she crossed the lobby towards him and Andy. "Feeling better?"

Mia shrugged. "If by better you mean like I want to die, then yes, I'm feeling better," she said, hook her arm through his and laying her head on his shoulder. "Can we please go eat copious amounts of junk food?"

"We most certainly can," her brother laughed. "Anderson? You coming?"

Andy shook his head. "I should get back upstairs and see what I can do to help."

"Are Aaron and Spencer still around?"

"Uh, no, most of the team took off while you were in the shower," he said apologetically. "They had a bit of a break in the case."

Mia nodded and stepped away from her brother long enough to give Andy a hug. "Thanks for helping out this morning."

"Hey, anytime," Andy replied. "Maybe take a day to recoup before we get back in the gym, though."

"I will be recuperating for more than just a day, believe me," Mia assured him. "I'll talk to you later, yes?"

After saying goodbye, Mia and Sean left Quantico in search of junk food. An hour later, the siblings sat across from each other in a booth at a dimly lit pub, waiting for their pizza, nachos, and beer. Though she knew she should be eating something healthier following her intense workout, she wanted nothing more than to dig into a big plate of greasy food she shouldn't be eating. Sean approved wholeheartedly, and had even ordered extra cheese and a big thing of guacamole for their nachos.

"So," he started once their drinks had been served, "When's the wedding?"

Mia eyed him curiously. "Wedding?"

"You and Reid."

"Um, that is somewhere off in the distant future," she smiled. "Though I do have some pretty big news regarding that area of my life."

Sean's eyes narrowed. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

"You're the second person to say that!" Mia exclaimed, setting her beer down. "Have I gained weight or something?!"

"No, no," he assured her quickly. "You don't look pregnant. I promise you don't. That would just be pretty big news."

Mia frowned at him for a moment before taking a sip of her drink. "_Anyway_," she said, "Spencer and I are moving in together."

"That's big too," Sean commented, leaning back in his booth and gazing at her coolly. "You think you're ready for it?"

"Yes," Mia said without hesitation. "Do you disagree?"

Sean shrugged. "You haven't been dating all that long."

"We've been dating nearly a year, Sean."

"How are you going to decide whose apartment to live in? Whose stuff to keep?"

"We're going to live in my apartment. It's bigger than his, and closer to the shop, and we agreed that because he's out of town a lot of the time anyway it made more sense to be closer to my work," Mia told him. "And we'll figure out the furniture and logistics of it all when the case they're working on now is solved."

"And if you break up?"

"Um, I don't see that happening," Mia said slowly, "But I guess we cross that bridge when we get there. What's with the third degree?"

"I'm just doing my duty as your older brother."

"Usually Aaron's the one with the questions," Mia pointed out. "I figured you'd just be excited."

"Obviously I'm excited," Sean said, leaning forward and reaching across the table to grasp her hand. "I'm just making sure you've thought it all through."

"We have. Just be excited, please?"

Sean grinned. "Okay, you're right, I'm sorry," he conceded. "Aaron will have us more than covered with the protective older brother shtick. I'm happy for you, Bug. Really."

"Good," Mia smiled, relaxing immediately. "Do you and Aaron ever grill each other like this? Or is it just me?"

"Just you, I'm afraid," Sean laughed. "The joys of being the baby, I guess."

Mia made a face at him. "Lucky me."

**A/N: So...not a lot of drama. Just some fluff to make up for my absence. Hope y'all don't hate me toooo much. Review review review! :) **


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter Thirteen_

"That's a big step! Think you're ready for it?"

Spencer glanced at Morgan from the passenger seat. "I think so," he nodded. "I mean, we've been pretty much living together for a while now. This just makes it official."

Morgan smirked. "Now there's no escape, though."

"I don't want to escape," Spencer laughed. "I love her."

"Just wait until you find her hair in the shower drain," Morgan warned, maneuvering the SUV into the driveway of a nice suburban house. "Or she paints the walls in the bedroom fuchsia. Or, God forbid, she sends you to the store for feminine products!"

Spencer chuckled as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "I'm pretty sure I'll still love her."

Morgan gave him an appraising look before grinning. "Sounds like you're growing up, Kid."

With that he slipped off his sunglasses, adopted his super serious agent expression, and stepped out of the vehicle. Spencer followed suit, and the two of them walked up the front steps of the nice, quiet brick house. While Morgan knocked on the door and waited, Spencer gazed around them at the sprawling lawn, colorful flowers, and enormous trees forming a leafy canopy over the driveway. It was a lovely house, and Spencer suddenly saw Mia chasing their future children around the beautiful yard.

"Can I help you?"

Spencer jumped, having forgotten for a moment why they were there.

"Mrs. McKay?"

"Yes," the older woman said slowly, "You are?"

"Agent Derek Morgan," Morgan replied, flashing his badge. "This is Dr. Spencer Reid. We have a few questions about your daughter Allison. Do you mind if we come in?"

Spencer quietly followed the two of them through the house to a small sitting room, and waited while Mrs. McKay disappeared for a few moments to fetch a tray of iced tea. She returned, tailed by her husband. Both McKays were obviously grieving the loss of their only daughter. Mrs. McKay was sickly pale and looked exhausted. Mr. McKay had dark bags under his eyes and his sweater hung off his body, suggesting that he hadn't been eating. Spencer felt a pang of sympathy towards the older couple, and he sincerely hoped to solve the case soon and give them some form of closure.

They spent a half hour speaking with the parents of their latest victim, asking questions they already knew the answers to, learning almost nothing new to help their case. After thanking the McKays for their cooperation, Spencer and Morgan walked back out to their black SUV, both feeling discouraged. It seemed like they would never catch a break.

"So that was pointless," Morgan sighed, hitting the steering wheel in frustration. "We learned nothing."

Spencer nodded in agreement. "The only new information was that Allison was recently overseas."

Morgan groaned. "Which tells us absolutely nothing."

While Morgan started the engine and maneuvered out of the circular driveway, Spencer gazed out the window with a frown, going over everything he knew about the case and the victims. So far they'd found nothing, aside from their appearances, to connect the women that had been killed. They all worked different jobs, had different lifestyles, ran in different social circles. They had nothing in common. Except…

"Travel," Spencer said softly. Morgan glanced at him questioningly. "They all travelled."

"What are you talking about, Kid?"

"That's what they all have in common!" Spencer said quickly, grabbing his phone and dialling Garcia. "They'd all been overseas shortly before they went missing!"

"Speak my beloved crime fighter!"

"Garcia, it's Reid," Spencer said, "All of our victims were out of the country before they were killed. Can you find out where they went?"

"Uno momento Boy Wonder," Garcia replied, and the sound of her hands flying across the keyboard could be heard in the background. "Emily was in Vancouver. Brittany was in Italy. Erin was in…ooh Tahiti. Nice. And Allison was in Mexico for a wedding."

Spencer glanced at Morgan, disappointed. "No overlaps."

Morgan drummed his fingers on the steering wheel thoughtfully as he drove. "Baby Girl," he said after a few moments, "What airport did they come through when they got back to DC?"

"Ooh, good idea _mon amour_," Garcia said brightly. Spencer waited with baited breath, listening to Garcia typing away on her computer. "Yahtzee. All four victims traveled through Dulles."

"We've got our connection," Morgan said. "Penelope, call the rest of the team and—"

"Mia," Spencer said suddenly, interrupting his friend. Morgan glanced at him. "Mia came through Dulles when she got back from Europe."

Garcia gasped audibly into the phone. "Oh God."

Morgan turned on the lights and sirens and sped up. "Get Mia on the phone, Garcia."

Garcia dialled and the three of them waited in tense silence. A wave of nausea washed over Spencer when, after five rings, Mia's voicemail clicked on. Spencer left a quick message telling her to call him ASAP, told Garcia to keep trying, and then hung up. While Morgan maneuvered through traffic at breakneck speeds, Spencer dialed Hotch's number.

"Hotchner."

"Hotch," Spencer all but yelled, "Mia. You have to find Mia."

"What? Reid, what are you talking about?"

"She's the next victim. Just find her, Hotch. Find her."

* * *

Mia sighed and stretched her arms high above her head, sinking deeper into the tub, letting the warm water soothe her aching muscles. Despite her protesting, Spencer, with both Sean and Aaron as backup, had convinced Mia to go out to Quantico to practice her self-defence training for the third morning in a row. The team was swamped with work on their current case, so it had just been Mia and Sean in the gym that morning, practicing the few moves Derek had shown them. When she'd finally managed to take her brother down, the utter and complete shock on his face was enough to make tears of laughter stream down Mia's cheeks.

Even now, in the safety and comfort of her own shower, the memory made her laugh aloud. He'd lain there a few moments, gazing up at the ceiling, completely dumbfounded, before turning a dark glare on her and challenging her to do it again. She'd done it four times in a row before he'd insisted they call it quits until Andy was available to be the punching bag. Mia had taunted him the entire ride back to her apartment, gleeful at her own triumph.

After a quick hug and a promise to visit soon, Sean had left to return to New York, the few days of holidays he'd managed to take over all too soon. Mia had trudged up to her apartment alone, locked the door carefully behind her, and stripped out of her clothing on her way to the bathroom. With Spencer busy with the case, and Alice taking care of the shop, she had big plans for a relaxing day of bubble baths, sappy movies, and baking cookies.

"Snickerdoodles," Mia told herself softly, shutting her eyes against the dim light and sinking further yet into the warm water. "Spencer will want snickerdoodles."

When the water started to cool and the bubbles had all disappeared, Mia reluctantly stepped out of the tub, wrapped herself in a fluffy purple towel, and went out into the bedroom. She found her cellphone, dialled Penelope's number, and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Speak and be heard by the All Powerful Garcie!"

"Pen, it's me," Mia laughed. "How are things going?"

"So-so, sweets," Penelope replied. "Your boy is on his way to interview some folks. Big brother boss man is following some lead that will probably bring us nowhere."

"Everyone is alive and well though, yes?"

"Fret not, love. You're not getting rid of those men that easily."

Penelope promised to call her if anything changed, Mia promised to go out and get good and drunk with her the moment the case was solved, and the two hung up. Confident that her boys would be alright, Mia tossed her phone aside and stood, wondering what she should wear for her relaxing day at home. She decided on a simple blue dress, piled her damp curls atop her head and pinned them loosely in place, and then headed for the kitchen to get started on her baking. Her phone rang before she had a chance to even open her cookbook.

"Mia?" Alice's frantic voice had Mia putting the cookbook back on its shelf. "Mia, I just got to the shop, and I know I'm late and I'm sorry but traffic was stupid and the subway broke down and everything went wrong this morning, but I just got here and the window on the door is all smashed in and I think someone broke in and I don't—"

"Ali, stop," Mia said quickly, grabbing her keys and purse, slipping on a pair of flats, and hurrying out the door. "Don't go in. Call the police. I'll be there soon."

Fifteen minutes later, Mia threw a handful of cash at the cab driver, called out a hasty thanks, and jumped out of the car. The two police cars sitting outside her store, their lights flashing brightly, made her heart race and her head swim. Alice met her at the door, her pale face streaked with tears. Mia immediately wrapped her arms around her friend, assuring her that everything was going to be alright.

"I'm sorry," Alice sobbed into her shoulder, "I shouldn't have been late. If I was here on time maybe—"

"No, Ali, don't," Mia interrupted her, stepping back to look into her eyes. "It probably happened late last night. If it happened this morning, then I'm glad you were late! If you had been here, and this had happened, and you'd gotten hurt…I just would never be able to forgive myself."

* * *

"Miss Hale?"

Mia glanced up and found a dark haired police officer watching her closely. "Yes," she said, giving Alice one last squeeze before moving towards the officer. "Mia Hale."

"You're the owner of this shop?"

Mia nodded.

"As far as your employee can tell nothing was taken," the officer explained, leading the way back into the store. "Though you may want to check your office. You'd know better than anyone if anything is missing."

Taking a deep breath, Mia obligingly headed for her office at the back of the store. Her mouth fell open in surprise as she stepped through the door and found the mess that awaited her. Books were thrown about carelessly, their spines broken, their pages carpeting the floor. One of the wingback armchairs had been pushed on its side, the little table that stood between the two chairs lay broken beneath it. Her desk was littered with paper and broken knick knacks, the drawers all pulled out and emptied onto the floor. Mia tiptoed gingerly across the room and carefully picked up a photograph of her and Spencer she'd had framed. The glass had been shattered and fell from the frame as soon as she moved it.

"Miss Hale?" The police officer's gentle voice made her jump. "Can you see if anything has been taken?"

"I have no idea," Mia replied shakily, turning to face him. "I mean, it doesn't look like it. But it's just such a mess…"

"Can you think of anyone who'd want to do something like this, ma'am?"

Mia gazed down at the photograph of her and Spencer, and suddenly she had a burst of clarity. "Excuse me," she said softly. "I have to make a quick call."

Ignoring the policeman's protests, she hurried from the room, pulling her cellphone out of her bag as she went. She ran out into the street and leaned against the cool brick wall of the building, dialling breathlessly. The phone rang four times before she got an answer.

"Mia?"

"Andy," Mia's struggled to keep from sounding panicked, "I need your help. Are you near Aaron or Spencer?"

"No, Reid's out doing interviews with Morgan right now," Andy replied, "And Hotch is in his office. I can go get him if you want."

"No!" Mia said loudly, causing the nearby police officers to eye her curiously. "No. I don't want either of them involved until we know they need to be. There's been a break in at my store and—"

"Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine," Mia assured him. "I wasn't here when it happened. The police are here now, and they want to know if I know of anyone who would want to do this. I need to know…does the…unsub…does he do this? Break into the victims' homes or offices?"

Andy was silent a few moments. "He hasn't, as far as I know," he said slowly. "But unsubs sometimes change their patterns. I don't think we should rule it out."

Mia sighed. "Do you think you could have someone here to check it out without alerting Aaron or Spencer?"

"I'll come take a look and see if I can find anything," Andy told her. "But if I keep this from them and it does turn out to be the unsub…"

He didn't have to finish the thought for Mia to know how much trouble he'd be in, or what it could mean for her. "I know," she said softly. "I just don't want them to freak out for nothing. If you think it's something we need to worry about, you can tell them."

Andy instructed her to get a ride home with one of the police officers on the scene and stay in her locked apartment until she was told otherwise. Mia brought her phone to the officer who appeared to be in charge and waited while Andy gave the man orders, using whatever fancy FBI powers he had. The officer proceeded to instruct the rest of his men to remain at the scene and wait for the agent in question, and then ushered Mia and Alice into his squad car. When they arrived at Mia's apartment a few minutes later, the officer and his partner did a quick sweep of the apartment and the building to ensure nothing was out of the ordinary before heading back to the shop.

"You don't actually think it's their guy, do you?" Alice asked as Mia finished locking the deadbolt and sliding the chain into place. "I mean, the chances are slim that there's some psycho after you, right?"

Mia smiled weakly and shrugged. "I hope so."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Have I ever mentioned how much I love you guys? Cause I do. A lot. Loving everyone's theories regarding the case! Enjoy :)**

* * *

_Chapter Fourteen_

Mia gazed at her ringing phone grumpily for a moment before tossing it aside and returning to her half-finished cookie dough. Spencer had called her nine times in the last half hour, second only to Aaron's eleven calls and Penelope's fifteen. She knew Penelope was calling on behalf of the other two, and that both men were calling to berate her for not telling them the moment she heard about the break in at the shop, and she didn't feel like dealing with either of them. In the forty minutes since Alice had left for home, where she planned on sleeping off the hellish morning she'd had, Mia had realized that she'd overreacted by calling Andy and that there was a slim to none chance that the culprit was the team's current unsub. She'd also decided that, despite his promises, Andy had notified Aaron and Spencer the first chance he'd got.

After briefly considering following Alice's lead and spending the rest of the day in bed, she'd decided that chocolate was a much better route and had dove headfirst into baking. Her first batch of chocolate chip cookies was already in the oven, and she was nearly finished whipping up a batch of Spencer's favourite snickerdoodle cookies—she knew she'd need to appease his anger somehow, and the cookies seemed like a good start. Next on her list was a double batch of triple chocolate cookies to give to Aaron and the rest of the team.

Just as Mia was about to take the first tray from the oven, there was a loud knock at the door. She sighed, knowing it was either Aaron or Spencer—or both—coming to scold her face to face, and continued with the task at hand. As she set the warm, gooey cookies atop the cooling rack, there was another, louder, longer knock. Rolling her eyes—clearly they forgot they both had keys—Mia tossed her oven mitts aside and went to deal with the over reacting men in her life.

Without checking the peephole she unlocked the door and opened it wide, smiling when she found David Rossi waiting for her expectantly. "Dave," she greeted warmly, "To what do I owe the surprise?"

"Why haven't you been answering your phone?" Dave demanded, pushing past her and glancing up the hall. "Are you alone? Is everything alright?"

"Uh, I'm fine," Mia said slowly, "And alone, yes. What's going on?"

Dave turned to her as she shut the door. "You didn't answer the phone."

"No," she agreed, "I know Aaron just wants to flip out on me because I didn't call when I found out about the store."

"What?" Dave frowned at her, finally removing his dark sunglasses. "What about the store?"

"Uh, it was broken into. Did they not tell you?"

"Do they even _know_?!"

Mia crossed her arms over her chest. "If this isn't about the store, then what's going on? Why are you here? Are they okay?"

"They're fine," Dave nodded. "Worried about you, though. You should probably pick up next time someone calls you ten times in a row."

"I figured I was going to get yelled at," Mia told him quietly. "What's wrong? If they didn't know about the store then why are they freaking out?"

Dave ran a hand through his dark hair, heaving a sigh. "You should probably just come with me."

"Why?"

"We, uh…" Dave seemed uncomfortable. "We think you might be in danger."

"Yeah, I know," Mia nodded. "I look like the victims in your case. Spencer told me."

"There's more to it than that now, Mia."

"What do you mean?"

Dave shrugged noncommittally. "We'll explain at the office," he said quickly. "Aaron said you have a go bag?"

Suddenly nervous, Mia motioned to the closet. "Top shelf," she said simply. "I have cookies on the go…let me just tidy everything up a bit."

Dave nodded and moved towards the closet to get the go bag Aaron had insisted she have ready at all times, just in case. Mia returned to the kitchen and quickly covered the uncooked cookie dough with plastic wrap and stuck it in the fridge to be cooked later. She tidied up the mess and deposited the dirty dishes into the sink, put the still warm cookies into a plastic container to bring to Quantico, and quickly untied her apron, tossing it haphazardly over a kitchen chair before hurrying back out to Dave.

"Ready?"

Mia nodded silently, grabbing her handbag and digging for her keys. Dave gave her a comforting smile, put his sunglasses back on, and led the way out into the hallway. After pausing briefly so Mia could lock the door, he motioned for her to go ahead, one hand on his holstered gun. Mia gulped, not liking his tense body language one bit. The drive to Quantico was quick and quiet, interrupted only by Dave calling to let Aaron know he had Mia. When he told Aaron that Mia would explain why she ignored his phone calls—and apologize—in person, she felt like she was five again, and Sean had caught her running away from home when Aaron was babysitting. Neither said much the rest of the way, and before she knew it Mia was being ushered into an elevator.

"Dave," she said softly, suddenly feeling like she was going to cry, "Please tell me the truth."

Dave frowned, though he seemed to have visibly relaxed since they reached the Bureau. "What do you mean?"

"Spencer," she said, searching his face for any trace of dishonesty, "You swear he's alright? You're not bringing me here to claim a body, or to sit me down and explain how gruesomely he died?"

"Mia, I swear he's fine," he assured her, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Reid is on his way back from interviewing some family members of our most recent victim. Hotch is here, upstairs, waiting for us. I was just closest to you, so they sent me to pick you up."

Mia wasn't quite sure if she believed him, but she waited quietly for the elevator to reach the floor of the BAU. Not until she saw Spencer with her own eyes would she relax. If he was alright, though, and Dave was telling the truth, then that meant she was in more danger than she'd initially believed. And that wasn't a thought she wanted to entertain, either.

The moment she stepped off the elevator, Dave close behind, Penelope appeared and drew Mia into a tight embrace. Mia hugged her friend for a moment before pulling away, handing her the container of cookies, and entering the bullpen, searching for Aaron. He emerged from his office, his anger obvious even from across the room, and motioned for her to join him. Mia took a deep breath and hurried towards him, throwing her arms around his neck as she reached him.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled into the front of his suit, "Please don't yell."

Aaron sighed, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "Don't ever ignore my calls like that again, understand?"

Mia nodded. "Did you talk to Andy?"

"He just called," Aaron told her, leading her into his office. "What were you thinking? You should have called me. Immediately, Amelia."

"I know. I just…I didn't want everyone to panic."

"I would have preferred panicking over that rather than panicking because no one could reach you!"

Mia ducked her head guiltily. "I'm sorry."

"I'm just glad you're okay, Mia," Aaron said softly, pulling her into another hug. "I was very worried."

Mia murmured another apology, hugging her brother tightly for a few moments before taking a small step back. "So what's this all about?" She asked curiously. "Why am I here? Is it all because of the shop?"

Aaron scrubbed a hand over his face. "Not exactly, no," he replied after a moment. "Why don't we go to the conference room, and we'll explain everything."

"We?"

"The team," Aaron clarified. "Come on. Morgan and Reid should be back any minute now."

Mia followed him out quietly, digging through her bag for her phone. Just as she was typing out a message to Spencer, the door to the BAU burst open and he appeared, looking frantic. Mia dropped her phone back into her bag and hurried down the steps towards the bullpen. Spencer spotted her and crossed the room, wordlessly pulling her into a bone crushing hug as he reached her.

"I was so worried," he said into her hair. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she assured him softly. "I'm sorry."

Spencer took a step back, his hands on her shoulders, and gazed into her eyes. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Mia shrugged. "Clearly there's something going on that I don't know," she said with a weak smile. "Makes me kind of nervous. I'm okay, though. Really."

Spencer sighed, brushing a curl out of her eyes before kissing her gently. "I think they're all waiting for us," he told her, taking her hand and starting towards the conference room. "Let's get this over with."

No one said a word as Mia and Spencer entered the room and took their seats, Mia sitting with Spencer to her left and Dave to her right. Aaron stood behind a chair across the table, the grim look Mia knew meant nothing good on his face. For a few moments everyone was quiet, Mia gripping Spencer's hand tightly, her eyes on her dark purple nails. She felt certain she knew what was coming, and she knew she wasn't going to like it.

Finally Aaron sighed. "You've probably already figured this out, Mia," he said slowly, "But we have reason to believe our unsub has targeted you as his next…victim."

Mia took a deep, calming breath, her suspicions confirmed. Beside her, Spencer tensed. Mia said nothing while the team took turns filling her in on the details of the case, explaining why they believed her to be in real danger. As they spoke, each one using a calm, soothing tone, a sick feeling of dread grew in the pit of her stomach. She was aware of Aaron watching her closely, waiting for some form of panic, and Spencer holding her hand between both of his comfortingly.

"Mia?" Aaron said gently when everyone had finished. "Do you have any questions?"

Glancing up at him, Mia took a shaky breath. "Why me?" She asked weakly. "I mean, I get that I look the part…and I went out of the country. But I'm sure plenty of dark haired women have travelled recently. Why is he after _me_?"

"There is a possibility that we're mistaken," Aaron admitted, "And I hope we are. But I'm not about to take that risk."

Mia nodded. "So…I am being targeted by a man who likes to rape, torture, and kill women," she said. "What do I do?"

"What do _we _do," Penelope corrected her. "We're in this together, sweets."

Mia gave her a grateful look.

"We find this guy and put him away," Aaron told her. "And we keep you safe until then."

"How are you going to find him?"

"We know Dulles is where he's finding his victims," Dave explained. "We've started combing through employee records, but it's a slow process."

"Can you think of anybody you may have spoken to when you came back from Europe?" Aaron asked. "We've profiled him as confident and sociable. Probably seemed like somebody you could trust."

"Paul," Mia said immediately. "The customs agent."

"Customs agents scan passports," JJ said quickly. "He'd have access to all the information he'd need to find the women he wants."

Aaron frowned at Mia. "You're sure?"

"Absolutely," she nodded. "He's the only employee I had any real interaction with. He was...I liked him! He was very nice. But it's got to be him."

"Is there anything else you can tell us about him? His last name?"

Mia shook her head. "I don't know his last name," she said. "He's a customs agent. He likes Browning. He—"

Spencer stopped her. "How do you know he likes Browning?"

"We discussed my shop," Mia explained. "He was looking for a specific volume. He stopped by the store a few days ago."

"He was in your store?!"

"Yeah, he came by just as I was leaving. We chatted for a bit and then I left."

Aaron ran a hand through his hair, his eyes flashing angrily. "Garcia, find Paul. Get all the information you can. Get us an address."

"Yes sir."

Mia sat quietly as Aaron continued to bark out orders and the team jumped into action. Spencer got to his feet, but stayed by Mia's chair rather than following the others out of the room. Aaron waited until only the three of them remained before giving Mia a dark look.

"You never thought to mention this man?"

"Of course not," Mia replied. "Why would I? He seemed like a regular guy looking for a rare book. I deal with those people all the time. How was I to know who he was?"

Aaron sighed. "Anderson is going to take you to a hotel until we—"

"A hotel? I can't go home?"

"No, Mia," Aaron said shortly. "This guy is stalking you. He knows where you live. Where Reid lives. Probably where I live. He knows where you get your morning coffee, where you go for your morning run, where your favourite grocery store is and your favourite sushi restaurant—"

"I get it, Aaron."

"Anderson will take you to a hotel. There will be a team of agents watching the building. He will stay with you until we've caught this guy."

"Anderson won't need to," Spencer said suddenly, laying a hand on Mia's shoulder. "I'll go with her."

Aaron frowned. "Reid—"

"Hotch, please," Spencer cut him off. "You know who we're looking for. You don't need me. _Mia _needs me."

For a moment both men stared at each other, neither speaking. Mia braced herself for Aaron's angry response, but instead he surprised her by nodding. "You're right," he said. "Go. Both of you. Call me when you're safe."

While Spencer waited patiently by the door, Mia walked around the table and threw her arms around her brother's neck. He returned the embrace with such unspoken emotion that Mia suddenly felt close to tears. He'd kept a neutral expression and calm tone throughout the entire conversation, but now, with most of the team gone, it was obvious to her how distraught he was.

"You'll get him," Mia assured him with a small smile. "You always do."

Aaron sighed. "Go. Please stay safe."

Mia pressed a quick kiss to her brother's cheek. "Love you."

Aaron managed a small smile. "Love you more Little One."

* * *

**A/N: Review review review! It keeps me posting! :) **


End file.
